"There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true.  The other is to refuse to believe what is."

Soren Kierkegaard

In today’s world you are continually bombarded with information via e-mail, twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, the 24 hours news cycles and a host of other sources. 

It seems that the world is now suddenly filled with “experts” willing to share their opinions on every topic. It is important to understand that claiming to be an “expert” does not make it so. Being interviewed on the 6 o’clock news does not make someone an expert. Writing a book does not make automatically someone an expert, it makes him or her an author. 

Be careful of whom you listen to and what you believe. Before you share something you heard or read as fact, do some research of your own. Is the claim actually supported by research and evidence? Are there multiple legitimate research projects that all came to the same conclusion, or are there 20 that came to a different conclusion and this one is an outlier? What are the credentials of the people you pay attention to and listen to? Be sure you read the entire article, not just the title, before you send it out to all your contacts. 

I am fine with people sharing their opinion, as long as they make it clear that it is in fact just their opinion. One of my favorite scientists is Benjamin Bikman Ph.D.. He is a professor at BYU, cofounder of InsulinIQ and HLTHCode, and the author of Why We Get Sick. Ben always references research papers to support his position on topics related to insulin resistance and health, and shares the links to those research papers. If he is offering an opinion in response to a question where the research has not yet been done he always make it clear that it is simply his opinion. 

It is ok to have strong opinions, just make sure they are loosely held. This does not mean that you are always flip flopping on your opinion. It does mean that you are open to hear about evidence and research that contradicts what you currently believe. Once you become aware of that contradicting evidence then do the follow up research to validate the source(s) of the new information and be willing to say, “I was wrong.” I have a great deal of respect for people who have changed their positions over the years as new evidence became available. I am concerned when people hold on to 20 year old dogma that has been proven to be wrong. 

What’s Important Now? Have strong beliefs, loosely held. Facts check and do the research with an open mind. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

www.daretobegreatleadership.com The online Dare to Be Great: Strategies for Creating a Culture of Leading workshop was created to help aspiring leaders and frontline leaders on their leadership journey. Subscribe to the weekly blog while you are there. 

 

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