I think about this a LOT. "Especially online, where some of the more questionable wellness claims gain traction quickly, and the people who speak in absolutes often sound the most convincing." -- I'd even go one step further and say our algorithms (and what they've done to our attention spans) mean that not only do these talking points sound more convincing, they're sometimes literally all we see! I'm also not sure I've mastered it but the noticing it (and talking about it as you do) is so important. Thanks so much for writing this.
It's not just that certainty sounds convincing, it's that the algorithms can make it feel like certainty is all there is. Nuance rarely gets the same airtime.
Like you, I know that I haven’t mastered it. But I've found that simply noticing what's happening is often the first step. :)
I think about this a LOT. "Especially online, where some of the more questionable wellness claims gain traction quickly, and the people who speak in absolutes often sound the most convincing." -- I'd even go one step further and say our algorithms (and what they've done to our attention spans) mean that not only do these talking points sound more convincing, they're sometimes literally all we see! I'm also not sure I've mastered it but the noticing it (and talking about it as you do) is so important. Thanks so much for writing this.
Janet, that's such a good point.
It's not just that certainty sounds convincing, it's that the algorithms can make it feel like certainty is all there is. Nuance rarely gets the same airtime.
Like you, I know that I haven’t mastered it. But I've found that simply noticing what's happening is often the first step. :)
Thank you for reading and for sharing this!!