Erin Crosby blog post #1


This week’s class discussions about truth made me think differently about how I decide what I believe. By watching Paper Moon and discussing the idea of truth, confirmation bias, and alternate facts I have shifted my outlook on becoming more aware of where I receive my news from and what I chose to believe.

One idea that stood out to me was confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is the tendency to look for or pay more attention to information that supports what we already believe while ignoring or questioning information that challenges us. I recognize how easily this can happen in everyday life, especially with social media and the internet and have reflected how I now incorporate this into my own life as well. If I already agree with an opinion, I am more likely to believe an article or video that supports it without questioning it very much. However, if I see something that disagrees with me, I may immediately start looking for reasons why it is wrong. This made me realize that believing something does not automatically make it true.

The discussion about alternate facts was also interesting because it showed how facts can become distorted when people choose to believe information based on their personal opinions or beliefs. The reading “Six Times Seven Is Not Forty-One” from The Death of Truth made me think about how important it is to recognize when someone is presenting an opinion as if it were a fact. The videos about truth and the “illusion of truth” also made me realize that hearing something repeatedly can make it feel true, even when we have not actually verified it.

Overall, this class so far has made me more aware of how I process information. I learned that finding the truth requires more than simply accepting the information that agrees with me. I need to question my assumptions, intentionally consider different perspectives, and check the evidence before deciding what I believe. This is useful not only for this course but also for my everyday life, because I encounter information constantly through school, social media, news, and conversations with other people.

Comments

  1. williams.dan76September 3, 2026 at 7:38 AM

    This is absolutely a great blog post--and a great start to your learning journal. Thanks! Your review is what we introduced in class, especially confirmation bias, is astute, and your statement that believing does not make something true has great meaning. All we can do as individuals is to take the time to assess the validity and value of truth statements. Impressive blog post.

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