How to find the truth

Source: Eric Dubay - video here

Discovering the truth in a world full of lies is no small task and is not nearly as simple as it may seem. Most people are so naive, gullible, and trusting that their standard for finding truth is as easy as turning on the nightly news.

Mainstream Presentation of Information
The news anchors present current events in straightforward, one-dimensional terms, offering little to no supporting evidence or historical context, little to no impartial analysis or discussion of alternative viewpoints, and downplaying or omitting any legitimate skepticism. Most school textbooks operate the same way, treating complex subjects—with a broad range of perspectives, possibilities, and competing evidence—as if there is only one easy, correct answer. ¹

Examples of One-Dimensional Teaching
The theory of evolution, for example, is taught in school textbooks as settled science, and students are simply required to remember and regurgitate the only option they are given on their test papers. Likewise, the heliocentric globe model is presented in every public schoolroom and textbook as gospel truth with no discussion or analysis of geocentric flat-Earth material. All evidence and arguments to the contrary are omitted, downplayed as historical ignorance, and demanded to be forgotten about—or else you will fail. ¹

Effects on Critical Thinking
True skepticism, critical thinking, and in-depth analysis cannot survive such a regimen of unquestioning obedience. Modern media outlets and school systems present information in such a dumbed-down, one-dimensional, dictatorial fashion that most people no longer even recognize critical thinking as an intellectual activity. ¹

Reaction to Alternative Viewpoints
Try presenting alternative evidence or an alternative viewpoint that challenges the mainstream understanding of almost any subject and watch what happens. Rather than being perceived as a keen, astute observer for pointing out problems or inconsistencies in mainstream beliefs, you will more likely be seen as stupid and kooky for using your critical faculties. Rather than being receptive, patient, open, and interested, more often than not people become unreceptive, impatient, closed off, and uninterested in hearing any information that runs contrary to their preconceived notions. ¹

Training Toward Conformity
The masses have been trained that intelligence is as easy as memorizing and repeating whatever the current majority consensus is on any given topic. Similarly, they have been trained that skepticism is synonymous with stupidity, and that people who dare question the consensus and present evidence that runs contrary to it must just be morons who did not get the memo that this subject has been deemed beyond reproach. If you doubt this, just try researching one of the many subjects society has decided are so beyond skepticism that having an opinion contrary to the majority gets you labeled as a quote-unquote denier, such as vaccines, the Holocaust, COVID, or climate change. If you begin spouting information that could pigeonhole you as potentially being a denier of such blasphemous, unspeakable subjects, watch how quickly someone steps up to censor you. ¹

On the Nature of Denial and Open Inquiry
In truth, the real denial in such instances is that of these accusers to actually hear out the claims, read these books deemed so heretical, and to research and honestly consider the arguments presented. As F. Scott Fitzgerald noted, “The truest sign of intelligence is the ability to entertain two contradictory ideas simultaneously.” Or, as Aristotle said, “Nothing is more challenging than the ability to study, debate, and think through a concept without immediately accepting or rejecting it.” This is the logical and necessary first step for anyone genuinely seeking the truth. ¹

Investigative Approach to Truth
Like a detective attempting to solve a case, honest investigation into every clue, each piece of evidence, and all possible perspectives must be considered without bias. If you have not done your due diligence in deeply researching and considering every angle and alternative before closing a case, you may be making a big mistake—believing in some bunk or accusing innocent people. This means scouring libraries and the internet, reading multiple books and articles, watching documentaries, listening to interviews, attending lectures, and assimilating all the information available on a subject. ¹

Bias in Self-Assessment of Research
Defenders of the heliocentric globe theory, for example, will often boast that they have done their due diligence in researching the geocentric flat-Earth model but have never read a single book on the subject. Believers in evolution and creationism alike often fall prey to this same bias. Either they believe creation because of their religion, or they believe in evolution because of modern science. But seldom do people really delve deeply into both, giving adequate time, effort, and energy to understanding each before coming to conclusions. This is the first step to discovering the truth: collecting and considering all available information about a topic from every perspective and without bias. ¹

Process of Elimination
Once you have acquired a broad and nuanced comprehension of a subject—having researched all evidence and perspectives—the next step to finding the truth is a process of elimination in negating falsehoods. What this means is rather than immediately trying to determine which among a given list of possibilities is the truth, it is better to first determine which options are definitely false. ¹

Applying Process of Elimination: High-Profile Events
For example, when it comes to events like the JFK assassination or the 9/11 attacks, saying with 100% certainty exactly what happened—precisely how and why it transpired, and who is responsible—is no small task. However, with even cursory research into these events, it is actually quite easy to debunk and discount the impossible official stories. A single magic bullet simply cannot strike one man in the head, then proceed on to hit another man in the back, chest, wrist, and thigh, only to be recovered afterward in nearly pristine condition. Similarly, two planes simply cannot bring down three reinforced steel buildings due to jet-fuel fires in under ten seconds. Debunking the impossible official stories of these incidents is relatively easy and illustrates why arriving at truth through a process of elimination is so effective. ¹

Narrowing Possibilities
By first looking to negate false claims rather than to affirm positive ones, the truth will come into clearer and clearer view until it is ultimately left as the only viable option. Sometimes a lack of evidence may leave multiple viable options or make it difficult to confirm exactly what happened. But through this process of elimination, it is always possible to narrow down the possibilities and come to certain conclusions. ¹

Contrast with Popular Presentation
The masses are not used to processing or receiving information in this fashion, however, because most people, pundits, media outlets, teachers, textbooks, and experts alike tend to present their claims in straightforward, authoritative, one-dimensional, positive statements without acknowledging alternative viewpoints or legitimate skepticism. In contrast, a genuine truth seeker will usually sound unsure, less authoritative, and more focused on making negative statements about the things that can be debunked and proven false. ¹

Detective Versus Police Chief Analogy
Imagine it like a police chief at a press conference versus a detective in his smoky office. People feel reassured by the positive, simple, straightforward, authoritative claims the police chief makes at the press conference. But how would they feel listening to the broader, deeper, more nuanced, and less certain claims coming from the lead detective being candid in his office? The detective would probably come off sounding less authoritative and convincing than the police chief, but ironically his detailed explanations would be far closer to the truth. ¹

Rhetoric and Public Perception
This is one big obstacle with truth seeking and truth speaking. Liars can confidently and bombastically spout their rehearsed lies with refined rhetoric and authoritative intonation that sounds positive, intelligent, and reassuring to gullible ears. Meanwhile, genuine truth seekers honestly expressing themselves and attempting to convey their broad, deep, and nuanced understandings may ironically sound negative, unsure, and unauthoritative by comparison. ¹

History of the “Conspiracy Theorist” Label
Well aware of this phenomenon, four years after the JFK assassination, in 1967, the CIA circulated a now-declassified memo, Dispatch 1035960, advising CIA field offices to label alternative explanations as “conspiracy theories” and to label their proponents as conspiracy theorists. The CIA wanted people seeking and speaking the truth about the JFK coverup to be publicly perceived as untrustworthy and unintelligent. Popularizing the term “conspiracy theorist” was a brilliant way to make intelligent, diligent, passionate researchers be perceived instead as kooky, paranoid autists peddling mere theories. ¹

On Having Multiple Theories
The fact of the matter is that when you gather evidence and debunk falsehoods through a process of elimination—arriving closer and closer to the truth like a detective does—you will inevitably have several running theories of possibilities. Labeling this natural process of truth seeking as conspiracy theorizing makes this necessary step in discovering truth sound very much like the opposite. ¹

Acknowledging Government Conspiracies
In reality, however, government conspiracies and cover-ups have been rampant throughout history up to the modern day. Acknowledging that fact is a necessary step, giving us permission to re-engage our critical faculties when it comes to seeking and speaking the truth. ¹

References

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Formatted Transcript (Original Content Preserved)

Introduction
Discovering the truth in a world full of lies is no small task and is not nearly as simple as it may seem. Most people are so naive, gullible, and trusting that their standard for finding truth is as easy as turning on the nightly news.