The universal symbol of justice is the blindfolded Lady Justice with a sword in one hand and scales in the other. In Greek mythology, where the concept originated, impartial justice was seen as a virtue that all emperors should aspire to. The blindfold worn by Lady Justice symbolises the idea that justice should be applied without regard to wealth, power or status. Discerning truth from noise, however, has become a lost art that needs to be rediscovered. This post aims to guide you in discerning truth from noise in a world filled with conflicting messages.
Telling Truth From Fiction
Knowing what’s true in a world filled with conflicting messages and noise is hard. It seems close to impossible. Discernment has become a forgotten skill. As a society, we find our truth by listening to others’ opinions rather than filtering through the noise to find what is true for us. Discerning our truth is the difference between being empowered and giving away your power. It requires quiet to listen to the wisdom of your body and trust your heart over your mind. It’s not an easy lesson to learn, though, as I discovered at my previous home.
Learning Discernment
Looking for a house, I had a clear picture of what I wanted. I wanted a place where I would fall in love. Something small, yet spacious. Something social, yet private. I wanted something close to work and ideally with a swimming pool. I daydreamed about the old television series, Melrose Place, where all the residents were also friends. Soon, the agent phoned and made an appointment to show me a place. However, as we arrived for the viewing, my stomach knotted, and a hollow feeling took hold inside. I felt uncomfortable. A very different feeling to my previous house when I walked in I felt confident, warm and welcome. This house felt much like a hologram in The Matrix. Beautiful on the outside, but hiding what’s the desolate truth underneath.
The agent sensed my hesitance and started selling all the features as he showed me around. It ticked every box on my wishlist, yet the unease persisted. I left feeling uncertain and decided to ask a few friends for their opinions. They all loved it and said I would be silly not to take it.
But still, the unease remained in my stomach.
New Beginnings
With no reason to say no and with all external validation from close friends, I arranged for a second viewing. Still filled with doubt, I looked for any reason not to buy it, but couldn’t find anything. So I decided to buy it, overriding my gut’s message.
What followed was years of corruption and struggle, starting soon after the contract was signed. Where my previous home was happy, this became my little house of terrors. The agent kept phoning back, pushing the price up just ever so slightly. At first, I agreed, feeling it was within reason, but when I spoke to the lawyer, he pointed out that they were bullying me and I should say no. I signed the contract, and I don’t have to pay a cent more.
At first, everything was great, and I felt my dreams had finally come true. I made friends with the neighbours and we had swimming pool parties and spent weekends away diving together. But soon, as with the initial contract signing, our monthly levies increased every few months. Each time, there was a viable reason. Yet, as the years passed, it became evident that the money spent on the complex was limited to a bare minimum, and they were asking for more. People started to object to the ever-rising costs.
In The Face Of Corruption
But then, the burglaries started. Each time, followed by a request for more money to upgrade the security. Like the clock, every other month, the security gates would be broken or the security system would need an upgrade after yet another burglary. The cost was clearly and undeniably justified.
Finally, however, I had had enough and asked to review the finances myself. It was a mess, with double entries and missing slips. But once I created more order from the chaos, a clear pattern emerged. The majority of the expenses were going towards security, with the chairman of the body corporate as the owner of the security company. I informed him about my concerns, and within a few days, there was another burglary.
I asked to look at the video footage and saw the gardener carrying out the bins moments after the burglary. My intuition told me that this was how the burglaries were taking place and why the thieves could never be caught. My suspicions were confirmed after I spoke to more people and involved a lawyer. After a few intense months, the truth finally came to light, and the chairman was removed from his duties. A new committee was established, and, as expected, the burglaries and rising costs ceased.
How To Discern Truth From Noise
It’s a story I wish wasn’t mine to tell, and a lesson I wish I didn’t need to learn. How was it possible for seemingly intelligent people to be fooled for so long without noticing the corruption? How did we trust someone so corrupt so easily?
I was lucky to walk away unscathed. The valuable lesson of discernment was deeply ingrained within my soul, and I would never make the same mistake again. I had learned how to discern truth from noise. Here’s a summary of the main lessons I learned and how they can be used on social media and news.
1. You don’t need a logical reason to say no
Discernment is a feeling. If it’s true or correct for you, it feels sure, stable, and calm. It feels like standing on solid ground. If it’s not true or correct for you, it instead feels like butterflies in your stomach or that nervous feeling before you go on a roller coaster. It feels like standing on a windy bridge with no support to keep you safe.
The house ticked all the boxes on my wish list. I couldn’t find a valid reason that made logical sense as to why I shouldn’t buy the house. So I did. My logical mind and ego-driven desire to look good won, even though my heart and my gut said otherwise. I paid a very dear price in return.
Your body knows better. Trust how you feel.
When you read an article that makes you feel uncomfortable or fearful, trust the feeling. It’s probably not true. When someone tries to convince you of something you don’t believe in, trust your body. You don’t need a logical reason to say no.
2. Look past the surface
People are easily fooled by beautiful packaging, as I was when I bought my magazine-cover home, a friend once described it. News and media use this to their advantage, often using the headlines to misrepresent information to the broader public.
Never trust the headlines. Always look a little deeper.
I recently came across a blatantly obvious example of this with an article from a well-known and trusted news provider circulating on social media. It had a catchy and relevant headline, and people were sharing it widely. When I read it, though, something didn’t look right. The information in the headline didn’t quite match the information in the body of the article, even though it was written in the present tense. It portrayed a breakthrough as if it happened today.
So, I dug a little deeper and, right at the bottom of the article, was a list of related articles. I clicked on the most relevant one, only to find that the article written and posted today was actually a post from five years earlier, modified to influence our current perceptions.
Truth is based on facts and gets stronger the deeper you look. Noise is decorated with elaborate words but dissolves quickly as soon as you look past the surface.
3. Value your own opinion over that of others
Don’t trust blindly. The most evil people on this earth are also the most charismatic. Hitler would never have risen to his heights if he hadn’t been charismatic. You need to master the art of manipulation to control the masses.
The person behind the corruption in our building complex was charismatic and nice. Everybody liked him. He never got angry; he always remained calm and smiled when everyone else was upset. He took time to have a personal conversation with the influential people in the complex and would explain things in depth. Finally, he was a master at controlling his emotions and talking around an issue. I was fooled into thinking he genuinely cared when, in reality, all he cared about was hiding the corruption and finding ways to make more money.
The truth is concise. Noise is buffered with words, explanations, and justifications, and attempts to be nice. If someone tries to convince you to trust them with a lot of words or tries to keep people from speaking to each other, look a little deeper. It was only after I valued my truth over what he wanted me to believe was true, and the owners started speaking to each other, that the truth finally surfaced.
The more objective opinions on a topic, the more complete the picture.
4. Truth builds up, noise breaks down
Truth is inclusive. Noise excludes, blames or tries to make others look bad.
When anybody tries to make someone else look bad or instils doubt, take it with a pinch of salt. Look for more evidence. When you read a headline that attempts to make someone look bad, consider that there might be two sides to the coin. Maybe they did do something unethical. But maybe someone is intentionally trying to make them look bad.
Make up your mind, and don’t believe what the media says.
Truth doesn’t need to convince you of its value, as it is clear to see. Noise, however, needs to find a way to appear better than it truly is, and the only way it can do that is by attempting to undermine its competitor’s reputation. Noise tries to exclude people and information. It adds layer after layer of words in an attempt to obscure the truth, leaving you confused. If someone tells you to trust them because they know better or are more educated than you, or because you know nothing about a subject, take it with a pinch of salt.
Chaos often hides corruption, as I learned when I tried to make sense of our complex’s finances.
5. Corruption happens in increments
One of the reasons corruption is so difficult to uncover is that it is often not black and white. It’s a sliding scale of grey that moves ever so slightly depending on the reaction of the audience. Corruption is a gradual erosion of boundaries. First, it asks just a little, then a little more, and again a little more, until you say no, knowing that it becomes harder to say no after each yes.
After I signed the contract, the agent first asked for a little more. When I said yes, they asked for slightly more, and then more, until I finally said no. Similarly, the corruption in our complex didn’t happen overnight as a single event. It shifted incrementally over the years, asking just a little more every few months. The story of the frog in the water is the perfect example of how corruption is designed. The water is warmed up so slowly that you don’t notice until it is too late. Or until you get out of the pot.
Be cautious about what you agree to and reevaluate where your energy is directed. Facebook is designed to be addictive. It’s designed to sell you others’ external ideas, most of which is noise. It started with just 15 minutes, then it became just 15 minutes more. Now, on average, people check their Facebook feed every few minutes. It is the go-to place for many to get opinions, find news, or make purchases. And it all started very innocently years ago.
When you learn how to discern truth from noise, be careful what you say yes to. Be even more careful of what you continue to say yes to and how it changes over time.
6. Covert is more dangerous than overt
In Africa, expressing emotions, even negative ones like anger or jealousy, is considered more valuable than hiding them. The reason is simple – you can’t trust someone who doesn’t express their authenticity. And that includes more negative emotions at times.
When people control their external behaviour or public image too much, look deeper. Behind the scenes, danger is often more perilous and malicious than danger that is immediately apparent.
A company that displays inspiring values everywhere in the office doesn’t necessarily mean it lives by these values. It often merely means that the CEO wants customers to perceive them as good, with little input as to what is true for the company or its people. The public face is not always a reflection of reality.
Similarly, what is promised in an advert or article is just that. An unfulfilled promise. Instead, look at what has been done in the past or what is currently being done. Don’t ever trust words alone.
Truth doesn’t need to be hidden. Noise doesn’t want the truth to be seen. Don’t judge someone as bad because they display their flaws publicly. Instead, be wary of someone not willing to be authentic or vulnerable. It takes great strength and courage to publicly admit you made a mistake or talk about the elephant in the room.
Discerning truth from noise is a forgotten art. To make empowered choices, learn to trust your intuition and discern the truth from the noise.
