Pushing the Buttons, by Betsy

One thing that pushes my buttons is deception and dishonesty.

This is about pushing MY buttons when I am pushing the buttons of my computer.

There is some excellent honest reporting and investigative work done in the media. But all too often the words deception and dishonesty bring to mind certain media sources and motives behind publishing certain bits of information.

The internet is such a great source of instant information.  Put in a search word and in a nano-second you have more information than you ever needed.  Often more information than you know what to do with. Sifting through it can be daunting.  Can you trust that the information is true?  To separate the reliable from the suspicious, I apply this criterion: what or who is the source and are they trying to sell me something or promote a product or service.  If the answer is “yes” I toss it out as untrustworthy.   The motive for putting the information out there is to get me to buy something, not to disseminate information that could be helpful or to help get to the truth, or to advance someone’s knowledge.

To report and promote the truth simply for the sake of truth itself is a noble cause.  Most people, organizations, and corporations have ulterior motives for promoting their “truth.”   If this is the case when I am searching the internet I cannot trust the information I am reading.

We are all familiar with some of the books promoting certain diets--often promoted as cure-alls for whatever ails you.  For example, the vegan diet will keep your heart healthy well into old-age.  It can actually reverse heart disease and diabetes claim its authors.  The Paleo diet of meat and vegetables, no grains, no starch will keep you from ever getting any disease at all.  I truly believe the authors of these books are sincere and I know they are scientific in their research and presentations of the facts they have determined to be true.  But I also know they cannot all be touting the truth. The research they have done and they will continue to do is going to be exclusively designed to support their truth, not destroy it.

I cannot say enough on the subject of the media and its lack of trustworthiness.  Many mainstream TV programs claim to be reporting the news.  But some are actually making political comments at the expense of the truth.  The truth all too often never gets out until it is too late.  Even if the true story is reported, we still must be very suspicious as to whether it is accurate.

Consider the now known fact that the Iraq war was based on a lie.  The people and the news media were told that Saddam Hussein had WMD’s.  We had proof.  Our government reported this information unequivocally knowing that it was not true and the media passed it on.  Yes, the media did report the lie accurately.  And then later reported accurately that it all was a lie, but some Watergate-type investigative reporting might have been very useful at that time.

So how do we know what to believe or not believe.  People often select one belief over another because they WANT to believe it.  This turns out to be simply a case of self-deception.  Try changing the mind of a person who has deceived himself into believing what he wants to believe.  I personally know very few people who behave this way.  I suppose that’s because I prefer to hang with people who value the truth and the ability to think, and choose to use that ability when searching for the truth.

So when it comes to pushing the buttons on my lap-top or getting my buttons pushed I try to evaluate as I am reading or listening, I avoid Fox so-called news, and pick and choose the reporters I read or listen to.

© 23 Jun 2014 

About the Author 

Betsy has been active in the GLBT community including PFLAG, the Denver Women’s Chorus, OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change), and the GLBT Community Center. She has been retired from the human services field for 20 years. Since her retirement, her major activities have included tennis, camping, traveling, teaching skiing as a volunteer instructor with the National Sports Center for the Disabled, reading, writing, and learning. Betsy came out as a lesbian after 25 years of marriage. She has a close relationship with her three children and four grandchildren. Betsy says her greatest and most meaningful enjoyment comes from sharing her life with her partner of 30 years, Gillian Edwards.