BLOG 8: Response to "I Know the Truth, so Don't Bother Me with Facts"

In “I know the truth, So don’t bother Me with Facts”, Jeffery Kluger explains that our interpretation of facts can easily be manipulated by rumors and lies. Conversely, when facts are presented to someone about a certain topic they sometimes get misconstrued by human emotion.  

In a new study conducted by R. Kelly Garrett and Erik Nisbet, both of whom are assistant professors of communication at Ohio State University recruited 750 people who admitted to being familiar with the Islamic cultural center and believing at least one rumor about it were exposed purposely to the actual facts of the case. By doing this, Garret and Nisbet set out to determine whether or not these facts would actually change their opinion and if so, could were their opinions changed because of the way the facts were presented. With that being said, people tend to think rapidly and express their opinions without knowing the actual facts. This example proves how common Kluger’s perception and thinking is among us. As a result of the study, both Garret and Nisbet were shocked to see how easy it was change people’s primary beliefs even with the facts being presented directly to them. They state less than a third of people were not willing to reverse their opinions regardless of what was proven or evident.   

          Professor Garrett also sites a body of studies that states even with facts, subjects often tend to stick to their opinions and beliefs just because of human emotion or ego. Other investigators are looking into whether or not the reason for this way of thinking has something to do with brain functionality. The prefrontal cortex is the purpose why our brain asks why and the amygdala is the part of makes us fear things. These two parts of the brain can make us make non educated statements thus investigators are still researching and looking into why people override facts with their own raw opinions.

         In the end, Kluger testimony states “No matter what the scans and other studies reveal, of course, its up to us to find a place in a world of facts and make our decisions based on that information-at least if we hope to get anything accomplished”. Summing up, we all think indifferently about certain subjects but do we think and process these topics with facts or do we just interpret it thru emotion.