By: Phill Trewyn
In best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari’s new book, Nexus, he makes the point that information isn’t truth and that most information is junk.
That is, he says, most information isn’t truth because truth is a costly and rare kind of information. He goes on to point out that our society naively thinks that in a world flooded with more and more information, truth will find its way up to a level of realization and understanding. That’s not the case, though, as the truth is usually buried deep amidst an onslaught of distorted, meaningless, out-of-context, or outright wrong information.
Truth, Harari says, takes time, money and effort to understand and convey in a coherent, honest way. Underscoring that point, he argues that truth is usually complicated because reality is complicated, and therefore can often take effort to discern and understand. Conversely, fiction can be as simple as anyone wants it to be and people tend to gravitate toward simple information.
Information is a commodity that people rely on to get answers and make decisions. Yet, Harari says the basic function of information in most cases is not to reveal truth, but to connect large numbers of people, and the easiest way to connect people is with fiction, fantasy, and mass delusions.
It’s an interesting way of thinking about information, particularly when we have access to more information on a daily basis than at any point in human history. And, perhaps more so these days, in the midst of an election season that includes a presidential race.
So, what are we supposed to do? We all want information that’s accurate and truthful to help us make decisions, whether it’s deciding who to vote for or how to address something in our business or personal life. Where and how are we supposed to find the truth?
It’s a big question with no simple answer. Remember Harari’s thought: truth is usually complicated because reality is complicated.
Part of the answer, however, may include one simple word: responsibility.
Being responsible applies to every facet of our lives. And taking responsibility, or doing the right thing, is not always easy, professionally or personally. To be sure, we all face challenges on a daily basis, and doing the right thing can sometimes be a tough thing to do.
Pursuing responsibility in business and our personal lives could mean that those dispensing information need to be responsible for how and what it is they are providing to their intended audiences. Likewise, those consuming information need to be responsible for understanding where the information they’re receiving is coming from and for making an effort to discern how accurate and factual it is.
Undoubtedly, it takes effort to be responsible and to rise above the “junk” information that Harari says is so prevalent in today’s world, to get out of our own echo chambers and consider other perspectives or be open to reviewing information from different sources. And the sheer volume of information thrown at us every day can be disorienting and make it difficult to discern what’s truthful and what isn’t.
Yet, it’s not hard to find the perspectives of leaders, successful business people and others – past and present – who place responsibility at the core of realizing one’s individual potential as well as that of their workplace and community.
John F. Kennedy said, “For in a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, ‘holds office’; every one of us is in a position of responsibility.”
Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop International Limited, said, “The business of business should not be about money, it should be about responsibility. It should be about public good, not private greed.”
Oscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, said, “The more freedom we enjoy, the greater the responsibility we bear, toward others as well as ourselves.”
Whether in day-to-day business activity or in our personal lives and the decisions we make at home or in the voting booth, honest responsibility should be our foundation. We are all responsible to make the effort of either dispensing accurate, truthful information, or making the effort to find balance in where we get our information and how we discern it in order to make the most informed decisions possible.
It’s responsibility – either the presence or absence of it – that ultimately shapes our personal lives, our community, and our nation.
