But I Read it on the Internet!

I recently read a study conducted at the University of Connecticut to determine how much people trusted what they read on the Internet. Researchers created a factitious web site about a factitious animal (endangered tree octopus in the Pacific Northwest) and then asked the students to research the animal and waited to see if they found the web site they planted and if they would critically think about what they read or take it as truth.

So what did the students do, well you guessed it, they not only believed the information on the bogus site, they even believed it after they were told it was bogus.

The professor concluded that even though most people say they don’t believe everything they find on the Internet, they really do. He also concluded that we are losing our critical thinking skills because of the prolific use of the Internet as a research tool.

The bottom line is that there is some good information on the web, but don’t throw away your library card just yet, because there is an equal amount of nonsense written by folks with an opinion that is not grounded in fact.

Gordon Crovitz summarized all this in a recent column:
“The Web promotes personalization that can become fragmentation;
creates information abundance that can become information overload; allows for creativity of amateurs while undermining the business models of professionals; and enables the wisdom of crowds
that can result in the stupidity of the lowest common denominator.” (Gordon Crovitz, “Is technology good or bad? Yes.” © WSJ)

With the easy availability of more information than ever before it is vitally important that we all hone our critical thinking skills lest we all be swept away by the “stupidity of the lowest common denominator”. Not only is information easy to access, it is also easy to create. Be careful of the voices you listen to online because that “expert” may simply be self-proclaimed with no credentials other than that he or she is simply online.

I fear that the more we begin to trust online sources the less we will trust our common sense and critical thinking skills. If we cease to question what we read, we lose our own instincts and ability discern truth from fiction and even right from wrong. Learn to look for proof because just as everything you hear is not true, neither is everything you read online.

To read about the study go to http://blog.mysanantonio.com/education/2011/02/tree-octopus-exposes-internet-illiteracy/

Discipline

What do you think of when you hear the word discipline?  Let’s face it, discipline is not that popular a word these days?  It conjures up in us a feeling that there will be work involved and it will be painful.  Discipline is not something we see a lot of around us.  Discipline can also have a connection to punishment, like when we were children our parents would “discipline” us “for our own good”.  So most of us don’t want to think about discipline.

However, discipline is an important part of everyday life.  We actually discipline ourselves quite well in many areas.  For instance, most of us get to work on time every day, we do our jobs in a reasonable manner, we pick the kids up from school, make meals, make our beds (well most of us do), clean our homes and so on.  It seems the disciplines of day-to-day life seem to accepted by most folks.  It is only when discipline stretches us that we tend to rebel a little.

For instance, your doctor tells you that you need to change your diet, lose some weight and start walking to bring down your cholesterol numbers.  Suddenly discipline looks a lot bigger and you can hardly find time to fit in more activities and the daily discipline of changing your diet seems a ridiculous request.  And what for?  To prevent a problem that you may or may not have.  You make a half effort to do a little of what the doctor says, but never really get serious about disciplining yourself out of a potential problem.  Perhaps the stakes are not quite high enough. Maybe you need a heart attack to give you the impetus to make those changes, something more real to make the act of discipline more necessary.  For many people, sadly, the only reason they adopt any disciplines is they fear the dire consequences of not doing so.

If we take a different view of discipline, make it more of a friend, it might come a little easier.  Think of all the things you could accomplish by making discipline your friend.  Better health, better body, more income, more organized, all things that discipline can help you accomplish.  Is there something in your life that you have always wanted to do or attain?  Is the only thing standing between you and “it” the fact that you can’t discipline yourself to do what it takes?

Discipline in life is much like a muscle.  It must be worked in order to get stronger.  Start small in areas of your life that you have always wanted to change.  Think about the steps you would have to do to get there and then keep track of everything you accomplish as you take the first steps toward your goal.  The difference between exceptionally successful people and the rest of us is not usually intellect or money or even connections, it is usually that successful folks have the discipline to get up each day and take the next step toward their goal.  They don’t give up, they just keep moving forward, doing what they know they have to do to reach the goal.  They are disciplined.

So, ask yourself “are you willing to do what you need to do (discipline) in order to have what you really want?”  What stands between you and your goals is usually YOU.