The problem with “facts”

Understanding this is absolutely vital to good thinking. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Hey there, Consider for a moment how many things you know because of firsthand verification rather than secondhand instruction. The truth is many or even most of our assumptions about, well, just about everything are believed facts, not checked ones. There’s nothing wrong with this, of course—we only have time to check so many facts. “The art of life,” Justice Holmes once said, “consists in making correct decisions on insufficient evidence.” Serious problems arise when we can’t distinguish between believed and checked facts, however. When too many believed facts are misfiled as checked ones, and when we refuse to review and revise them no matter what we see or experience, or worse, when we carefully filter our observations and experiences to preserve our cognitive status quo, we can lose our ability to successfully navigate reality. Take climate change, for example. Many alarmists and skeptics alike cite “things they’ve heard” from experts (or worse, from non-experts) in the media, but haven’t personally reviewed any of the research or data cited by those people or studied any of the counterarguments, much less the most compelling ones. And so, if such people were to take today’s message to heart, they’d acknowledge that they know very little about the subject and preface any statements about it with “I don’t know much, but here’s what I’ve heard . . .” Believed facts, not checked ones. There are various reasons we’re all prone to this thinking trap, but the desire to avoid uncertainty is likely a big one. “Yes” and “no” provide security and comfort whereas “maybe” and “probably” are slippery and treacherous. But they’re also a more accurate reflection of reality. And so if we want to interact with reality more effectively, we must strive to mentally interact with it more effectively, and that requires moving away from monochromatic thinking and toward polychromatic thinking. This cast of mind can be uncomfortable because it often entails accepting that we don’t know nearly as much as we'd like to think. But it also invites opportunity. There’s a word for the process of rethinking assumptions and reworking opinions: learning. Also: If you want to learn the most important (scientifically checked) facts for losing fat, building muscle, and getting healthy, check out my award-winning fitness books for men and women. They’ve helped thousands of people of all ages and abilities build their best body ever, and to find which one is right for you, take my free 60-second quiz here: => [www.legionathletics.com/book-quiz]( Go for it! Mike P.S. Want some help building your best body ever? Here are 5 ways I can assist whenever you’re ready, including coaching, books, free fitness plans, and more: [www.mikematthews.co]( [Button Text]( [Custom]( Want to earn cash back on every purchase you make? [Click here to learn how](. Already have a rewards account? [Click here to view your point balance](. To update your email preferences, [click here](. To unsubscribe, [click here](. Legion Athletics, Inc. 1255 Cleveland St. Floor 4 Clearwater, FL 33755 ‌