Can You Handle The Truth?

Most people can’t handle the truth. Can you?

The rise of populist leaders and fake news during the past couple of decades prove this point ad nauseam.

But why is it that most people do not want to or cannot handle to know or to hear the truth?

One hypothesis may be that most people are subconsciously overwhelmed by increasing relevant uncertainties, turbulence, and systems discontinuities and don’t have much energy left to think about any given fact. Thus, they just want to hear and see what they like.

This is the same reason why most people assume. Assuming anything does not take any brain power. In addition, you can assume whatever you want.

This may also explain why so many advertisements get away with such absurd claims like “zero calories,” “the best blah blah,” and all the superlatives you can think of. People who are overweight feel good fooling themselves about eating “zero-calorie” foods rather than facing the truth.

This is a global self-deception pandemic, it happens at every level and every where, especially in the “developed” world. Only isolated villagers in remote areas with little or no media influence may have been spared.

But what is wrong with fooling our self? It’s our life and we will have to face it and live with the…