The Truth About Paying Attention
“Truth is a jewel which should not be painted over; but it may be set to advantage and shown in a good light.”
— George Santayana
With fast-spreading misinformation and deceitful agendas stirring mistrust, sorting facts from fiction is more challenging than ever. Also, some prefer being deluded. Life in a fantasy can be satisfying and feel real but humanity reaches dark and not-so-magical destinations by not staying alert or watching the road. A slip into a murky puddle can result in a bottomless fall. The Poets and Storytellers United prompt "the act of paying attention" has me thinking the word "act" implies action and that it takes focus and considerable effort to research topics and find balanced and honest analysis. As Earth Day comes and goes, it is clear, climate and all the extremes need attention amid a pile of deceptions. Filtered through perspective, truth still is the jewel easily obscured as if by mist ... how my world appeared one tranquil fog-soaked morning. 
Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United and SKYWATCH.
Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.
Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.
 |
| HOLD ONTO THE LIGHT |
Interesting post.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's not only paying attention we need to do, but also to learn HOW to pat attention so as to sift the factual from the fake. I am so lucky that as a primary school child I was taught a subject called Clear Thinking, a children's level of logic, including how to analyse newspaper headlines and reports. I've never heard of it being taught anywhere else, which seems a great pity.
ReplyDeleteGreat snake image to go with the poem. I imagine a time before lying when there was only oral communication. One lie leads to many. They pile up and corrupt.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely a necessary action. One which I wish would spread to people keeping their head in the sand about climate change. The pictures are hauntingly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYour post today is fascinating ... speaking your truth is a beautiful thing. We all need to do more of that in constructive, non-political ways. Rosemary's comment has me wondering how we can encourage for of those critical thinking / logic skills in our schools.
ReplyDeleteFoggy sky.
ReplyDeletePaying attention is certainly an active behavior. Deception goes such a long way to seem real that if we don't work just as hard to see beyond its disguise, we'll be lost. Things are worse for those who, as you suggested, prefer to be deluded. There is little hope for them...
ReplyDeleteThere is beauty and truth in those hazy skies!
ReplyDelete"People keeping their head in the sand about climate change" are of two kinds: the ones who think that, because we've seen a few theories and models of it proven false, it can't happen at all; and the ones who think that setting up a global totalitarian government can do anything useful about it.
ReplyDeleteIf enough people focus their attention on doing what they need to do about LOCAL warming, which is indisputably real in some places and is fixable, for all we know the polar ice caps may recover.
If we trust even bigger government to solve the problem...consider how the US federal government is doing, so far, with glyphosate. Global government would be even more blatantly corrupt and dependent on polluters.
Great post, lots of people prefer their fantasies to the truth.
ReplyDeleteTrue..the barrage of misinformation across platforms (yes like snakes) and the way we curate our feeds and timelines so we stay in self-created bubbles, makes it challenging to sift through the fog. It takes time and effort to identify and consume content from credible sources on an ongoing basis. Good points, Maria.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos of the mist.
ReplyDeleteDo you think those who fall for lies read the papers anymore? They read the wrong stuff and watch the wrong stuff on TV. That's because it is what they want to hear. My opinion. I do like best your final line in part, "Filtered through perspective, truth still is the jewel easily obscured as if by mist ..." Your misty photos fit really well, seems some may be from a balcony. Or opened upstairs window.
ReplyDelete..
Oh your words are so true and your photos are most complementary to your words ~ lovely post ~ thanks,
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Interesting quotes Penelope. You always speak wise and thought-provoking words. I take everything with a pinch of salt when I read all the reports in the news and on social media. We need to wade through and not be pulled into the whirlpool of outlandish lies.
ReplyDeleteStunning images of your early morning mist. I absolutely love a misty morning.
And the sad truth is, " some prefer being deluded". :(
ReplyDeleteThe post and comments are wonderfully thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteWe need to find a way to remove paywalls from legitimate news sites. Access to fact checked journalism shouldn't become elitist.
Misinformation offerings usually offer simplistic solutions, for a price.
Although your picture makes morning mist beautiful, I have never cared much for foggy days -- weather-wise or metaphorically. And there are so many more of the latter. From necessity I have learned more and more about doing my own research. Most of us are very lazy by nature and want information presented to us clearly and simply. That simply does not happen these days if it ever did. I'm very worried about the impact of AI. It seems to be made to work on the heads of those easily convinced.
ReplyDeleteIn reality I don't like morning mist at not even during the day and evening, but strangely on your photos it looks very romantic !!
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI love your misty images, they are all beautiful. We must all be paying attention, ignoring the fake news and looking for the truth. Take care, have a great day!
Your thoughts is penetrating, Maria, and must have given great impact, probably only the same-minded. Many people must have been trained “critical thinking” in the course of education, but why not working? I like these atmospheric photos. Morning mist here means clear, bright daytime. I hope the world would be so after humans being soaked in the mist such a long time.
ReplyDeleteYoko