The Way Subjective Facts Influence Post-Truth Society

We are often told that the truth will always prevail. Told that the truth will set you free. Told that the truth is never far from a lie. But, are never told how the pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple. In case you were wondering – truth is a 5-letter noun, defined by the Oxford dictionary as “the true facts about something, rather than the things that have been invented or guessed.” Sounds straight forward, right? Right. See how you just agreed with me? That is exactly society’s problem. Thanks to modern advancements, we are excessively exposed to a marketplace ‘aka battlefield’, of opinions, and frankly the truth is outnumbered, the truth is losing. Consider it: futile. Basically, whatever is said usually goes. Consequently, the truth needs to be protected from the toxin of lies that shroud it. The novel 'Burial Rites' by 'Hannah Kent' and article ' Is Truth an Outdated Concept?' by 'Michael Shermer' suggests that in a post-truth society subjective fact is more influential in shaping public opinion than the truth. For reference, historical biography Burial Rites explores the multi-faceted dimensions of truth in the recollection of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, a servant in northern Iceland who was condemned to death after the murder of two men. Moreover, the article ‘Is Truth an Outdated Concept’ examines the role of truth in the modern ever-advancing world. Thus, initiating the discussion that in our new normal, experts are dismissed, and alternative facts flagrantly offered ultimately leading to the demise of the quest for truth.

To begin, in recent years, the suspicion of experts and specialist has begun to contaminate a substantial ecology of knowledge and practice in our society. ‘Nielsen's Q1 2018 Total Audience Report’ suggests, the average US adult spends upwards of 11 hours per day connected to linear and digital media across all devices and platforms; exposing society to a constant feed of differing ideas and opinions. Here identity outranks arguments. We are seeing either a lack of interest in evidence, or worse, an erosion of trust in the fundamental norms around people’s accountability for the things we say. Essentially, we are approaching a point where “all the progress we have made since the scientific revolution in understanding the world and ourselves has been obliterated by a fusillade of social media postings and tweets” – Schemer. This relates to humanity’s unique ability known as “the ‘backfire effect’, in which people double down on their core beliefs when confronted with contrary facts.” – Schemer. The ‘back-fire effect’ or ‘cognitive dissonance’ allows for an individual to ignore, reject and dismiss objective or subjective facts that do not align with their own truth or values. In simple terms ‘humans have a knack for hearing only what they want to hear.’ A common example of this is when someone smokes despite being aware of the medical fact that it is dangerous to one’s health. 

A further example can be seen in Burial Rites when characters in the novel choose to reject Agnes’ truth. Based on a pre-conceived prejudice of her character as a middle aged, woman and servant. This is made clear when District Commissioner Blondal in conversation juxtaposes the truth when he states “She [Agnes] is to die, and for good reason… They had planned to kill Natan and take his money all winter, and that is what they did… It was a cold-blooded attack on two defenseless men.”. Insert eyeroll*. Here, the audience’s awareness of the cognitive dissonance at play ignites rage, whilst simultaneously evoking empathy; as the experts (Agnes’) truth is overlooked - simply to satisfy the belief system of the community. It’s disappointing. Perhaps, because we see this time and time again in real life where the truth is decided through the consideration of one’s identity and the degree of which they are liked. Therefore, reinforcing the case that little value is placed on where the truth actually lies, and that subjective fact plays a significant role in forming a public outlook.

In addition, rumours are the engine that drives the click-by-click spread of fake news and other dangerous nonsense. Although, often untrue and lacking necessary evidence, rumours play a considerable role in influencing society’s perspective on various topics. Although, ‘rumours’ have a general negative connotation, they often are variations of a truth formed to the best of one’s knowledge and ability. Take a simple game of ‘Broken Telephone’ the first whisper is ‘A pink pig and a pesky donkey flew a kite at night.’ As the message travels around the group some people miss things, others add things, some misinterpret things. The result is a distorted version of the truth… a rumour. Envisage this game on a larger scale - social media and humanity in its entirety. The problem is that many take these rumours at face value. Too lazy to delve into the logistics. Too lazy to seek the truth. Albeit, not lazy enough to pass it on - gossip is merely a part of human condition. Proving that we are irrational! Article, ‘Is truth an outdated concept?’ addresses that cognitive psychologists and behavioural economists “assert that humans are irrational by nature and … that reason is a hegemonic weapon of patriarchal oppression”. This can be seen through ‘Kent’s’ use of irony when Margret’s neighbour Roslin exclaims she has “heard a few rumours over the past weeks” that Agnes had been placed in custody with the Kornsa family until the date of the execution. This was before she had been directly told the truth. Here, irony is present as this instance is the only occasion in the novel where rumours, were in fact the exact truth. This leaves the audience fascinated to how truth is represented as multifaceted and demonstrates how communication allows for the rumour mill to thrive. This example mimics how in modern society an individual will see or hear a ‘truth’ indirectly, ‘take it and run’. Therefore, rumours demonstrate how the quest for truth is becoming less important to society. Moreover, how in a post-truth world, we are happy to take on a subjective opinion even when it devalues the very essence of truth.

Conclusively, Novel ‘Burial Rites’ and article ‘Is Truth an Outdated Concept?’ suggests that in today’s post-truth society subjective facts are of higher value in shaping public opinion then objective facts. Unfortunately, the truth is losing to an overwhelming market place of idea’s where rumours plague society and where there is a growing distrust in experts and specialist. In order to stop the value of truth from further eroding we must vow to “fact-check information to confirm it is true before accepting and sharing it’, “re-evaluate if your information is challenged, retract it if you cannot verify it”, and “distinguish between your opinion and the facts”. But most importantly, as cliché as it sounds, please never give up on the quest for truth.