What Research?

I am not sure if I have gotten any wiser as I’ve gotten older. What I can say is that I now know just how much I don’t know. When issues arise, I’m honest enough to admit when I’ve done little to no research on the subject. Pretty simple right? Except, I don’t find most folks joining in that endeavor these days. The following is from a very good post I saw somewhere. (Can’t remember where, but if you know, then you know the drill.)

“Please stop saying you researched it. You didn’t research anything and it is highly probable you don’t know how to do so. Did you compile a literature review and write abstracts on each article? Or better yet, did you collect a random sample of sources and perform independent probability statistics on the reported results? No? Did you at least take each article one by one and look into the source (that would be the author, publisher, and funding), then critique the writing for logical fallacies, cognitive distortions, and plain inaccuracies? Did you ask yourself why this source might publish these particular results? Did you follow the trail of references and apply the same scrutiny to them? No? Then you didn’t…research anything. You read or watched a video, most likely with little or no objectivity.

You came across something in your algorithm-manipulated feed, something that jived with your implicit biases and served your confirmation bias, and subconsciously applied your emotional filters…and called it proof.”

I absolutely try to remember this reality every time an issue arises.