All three of the books here deal with historical narratives. The statement that resonated most for me, and which applies in some ways to all three books, is from Josephine Tey: “Truth isn’t in accounts but in account-books.” It is another way of saying “trust but verify” when someone tells you what they remember. The […]
Tag: truth
Lies, Damned Lies, and Investments
Given the number and significance of the lies being told by various politicians and their representatives, why do they still have loyal supporters? It must be a kind of sunk cost fallacy: having invested so much in a person or a party, the prior commitment justifies ongoing investment even in the face of evidence that […]
Sharing the Blame for Sharing False News
We can’t put all the blame on Facebook and Google for fake news stories when we are the ones who share them without a second thought. As the news media grope around for someone to blame for the outcome of the US election, they have included social media in their accusatory gaze. Facebook and Google […]
Tell Me A Story
Tell me story, tell me story Tell me story, remember what you said You promised me, you said you would You got to give in so I’ll be good Tell me a story, then I’ll go to bed I still like being read to. I like it so much that I could binge-listen to TV […]
Is The Sky Falling?
Judging by this week’s news, you could say that Alberta, Canada is overrun with gun-toting psychotic murderers, California is covered with snow, and Play-Doh toys are designed to corrupt children. The truth, however, is not quite so horrifying. There have been two Albertans who shot people this week, there is some snow in some parts […]