By David Hegg
Someone came up with the haunting truth that what actually died during COVID was trust. We became a nation of skeptics. Many began to doubt what we’d been told about the origin of the virus, the effectiveness of masks, the safety of vaccines, and especially the reliability of those feeding us everything from the daily news to the spate of governmental mandates and restrictions. And yet, sadly, in the years since COVID, we’ve come to experience an even more serious malady.
Living as a skeptic is quite challenging. Something within us cries out for clarity. We intuitively need a foundation that assures us we know what is true, real and happening in our world. We crave certainty, yet this craving can drive us away from critical assessment, even as we are bombarded with more new information in a day than our founding fathers contemplated in their lifetimes.
Here’s my assessment. Please bear in mind this is an opinion column, not a deeply researched, academically supported, peer-reviewed argument. We are increasingly becoming people who unquestioningly believe what we like, what we want to be true. The rapidly growing political divide in our country has spawned a perspective — a dangerous one! — that convinces us we have a firm grasp on the facts and their meaning when we’re really just preferring what we want to hear. We’ve become so divisive that we only believe what “our side” is saying, what our people are explaining, what our “tribe” is proclaiming.
The contrast between the reporting of Fox News, Newsmax, and the Wall Street Journal, and that of the New York Times, MSNBC, and HuffPost, is emblematic of this. Those on the right ridicule MSNBC but accept and believe the world according to Fox, while those on the left deride Fox and swear by MSNBC and HuffPost.
The grave consequence of this emerging “my side is always true” ideology is that our society is losing its “thinking grid.” Many no longer run what they hear from both sides through a rational, critical-thinking framework. Too many swallow what they’re being fed because it makes them feel good and grounded.
In what may seem an arrogant attempt to help you remain profitably skeptical, here are a few suggestions. First, disregard signs of bias such as ridicule, demeaning language and personal insults. Known as ad hominem, it is fallacious to undermine an argument by attacking the person making it. Second, insist that the facts are verifiable, rather than simply the foundation for biased innuendo. Third, take time to determine if the facts as presented also reasonably lead to the conclusion reached. Fourth, break out of your habit of only listening to the news source that makes you feel the best. Go ahead and listen to those promoting the other tribe, using the first three suggestions above.
Understand the difference between complex, fact-based reporting and opinion. It is too easy to allow opinion to shape your position. Take it from me, an opinion columnist, the only purpose behind my writing is to get you to think! Please take in what I’m saying, run it through your critical-thinking machinery, and decide whether it is worthy of a place in your decision-making apparatus. Do the same thing with your favorite blogger, podcaster, influencer, politician and pundit.
Lastly, as we approach the New Year, let me opine a bit further. Here’s the deal, fellow SCVers. Very few of us can have significant influence on national politics. Yes, by all means, vote, and do so intelligently and consistently. Yes, let our elected representatives know what you believe is best for our city, county, state and country. But don’t tell yourself that worrying and ranting about the national scene is of utmost importance to you and your family. Instead, think about how we, from both sides of the aisle, can work together on the many nonpartisan issues that can make our wonderful SCV a safer and better place to work, play, love and raise a family.
If we believe we are “one nation under God, indivisible,” then we’d do well to stop demeaning the other tribe and start constructive dialogue. Who knows? 2026 may bring us greater clarity, stability and progress than we thought possible. Here’s hoping you and I have a safe, prosperous New Year!
Local resident David Hegg is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church. “Ethically Speaking” appears Sundays.
