Questions Over Answers

No one expects you to have all the answers; stop pretending you do.

This first sentence may be surprising for you, but even in the age where all the information seems to be just a click away, no one actually expects you to know and understand all of it. Isn't that a relief? So take a deep breath and relax.

The Age Of "Information"

The invention and rise of the internet opened up a whole new way that we can learn and consume information, which has been made even more available with the invention of smartphones and made even more advanced with AI. Today, the answer to pretty much any question we have is just a click away, looked up, and very often quickly forgotten. I feel like despite having more information at our disposal, we actually know less and use our brains less.

We form our opinions based on our YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok feeds, which often consist of people offering their opinions without actually taking a deeper look into the topic. Recent growth in cancel culture has annulled any chance for open dialogue where actually informed opinions can be formed.

Now, this might look like a rant on modern technology and social media, but it is not. I mean, I am part of those things, also sharing my opinion - sometimes more, sometimes less informed (I try to do my best).

Information vs. Knowledge

I am so thankful that we have access to the information we have today. This constant access to information can give us the illusion of knowledge, even when we haven’t deeply engaged with it.

I like to look at the definition of words; hence, the OED definition of "knowledge."

Facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.

Knowledge comes from understanding and adapting information and Facts, not just from remembering or recalling them. Now, the fact that we might not actually benefit from access to all the information we have today might be the way we are taught throughout our educational upbringing, but that is a topic for another day.

What I want to encourage you to think about is how often do you actually adapt and understand the information you are looking up? How often does information actually become knowledge throughout your life?

Algorithm And Conformation Bias

But it’s not just how we absorb information that’s the issue—it’s also how information is filtered to us. Our brain has a natural inclination to confirm already-held ideas and beliefs and reject everything that goes against them - even when the evidence or information presented is more logical. Peter Wason (a British cognitive psychologist) is credited with first coming up with this idea and conducting experiments in that area.

Over the years, further studies and experiments have been done, and they have shown pretty much the same results: Our brain chooses and prefers to retain information that aligns with our beliefs - aka confirmation bias.

Modern media naturally takes advantage of that. Algorithms usually show us content that aligns with our preferences and opinions based on what we've liked and watched. Even Google adapts search results based on past behaviour, location, and predictions of what it thinks you want.

Here is the danger: We get stuck in a belief system that is never really challenged or questioned because all the information we receive confirms what we already believe. There is no real test, though, to determine whether those opinions and beliefs are actually factually accurate and correct.

This fuels misinformation, cancel-culture and, in my humble opinion, leads to a more ignorant and intolerant society that is massively vulnerable to manipulation.

But how can we change that?

The Gray Zone

I think one part of that is just growing older. With age comes the understanding that things are usually not just black and white, but there is a lot of gray in life. Our experiences teach us that things might not always be as clear as we think, and in a way, multiple ways of seeing one issue might be correct or at least credible.

But this is something we don't have to wait for until we are older, it is something we can cultivate in our lifes as we grow. For me, that starts with involving myself with people who have different opinions than me and trying to see their point. Learning to listen to understand them. This does not mean I then have to agree with their opinion or view, but I hopefully become more understanding of their view of the topic and why they believe what they believe. And maybe, actually, they are right, and with an open mind, I can change and adapt my opinion.

One example for me that really highlighted this was the Depp vs Heard defamation case. Where we saw this huge swing between black and white. First, J. Depp was the evil villain, then, during the court stage, all of a sudden, Heard is the villain. In reality, I think both of them probably abused and experienced abuse - their whole relationship sounds like a big grey zone where there might not be that much clarity about the villain and the victim.

Disclaimer: I'm not saying that is the case in all (or most) domestic abuse situations - usually, there is a clear aggressor and a clear victim, and if you are experiencing abuse from a partner, family or someone else in your environment, please get help.

I think many issues fall under this category, where things might not be as black and white, but the only way we realize and come to see the grey zone is by speaking and trying to understand the other side. And once we begin to recognize the grey areas in individual situations, we can zoom out even further to see the bigger picture: a wider, more complex world than we ever imagined.

A Broader World View

How can we understand "the other side"? Most simply, we can ask questions, allow ourselves not to have all the answers, and keep an open mind, staying curious about how others see the world - be that in the understanding of society, religion, economy, culture, etc.

There is so much to discover beyond the limited viewpoint we grow up with, so many wonderful lenses through which we can look at the world and life. I think we truly miss out when we build a strong and "immovable" worldview, not only early on in our lives but then especially - and I do believe we become more ignorant through that.

I highly encourage you to challenge how you see the world and the topics that move you the most and try to understand why someone else might think differently about it. Even if it does not make sense to you at all, for instance, try to understand why there are people who believe the world is flat. Where are they coming from? What are their arguments? You can still think it is round - as I would say is pretty proven. But it will still create a deeper and broader worldview.

Here is the thing: We often avoid letting our worldview and opinions be challenged because they are strongly connected to our values and identity.

I think we should be open to challenging and changing our values, especially in our younger years - as we often do anyway once we move out of our parents' houses. Who we are and our understanding of who we are also change as we grow older and more separate from the voices that raised us, even when they influenced us massively.

But then we can pretty quickly - especially at this time - base our values on what we see online, and I want to encourage you to stay open-minded and really question the things you hear and see - even if they resonate with you. Don't just adapt someone else's values and worldview. Create your own.

Creating your own worldview and values is a lot of work and might be quite a long process. I am still finding myself adapting and changing, although some have become almost foundational that might be hard to change - but even those have changed and adapted over the last ten years.

Questions Over Answers

So, before you feel like you have to know and have an answer to everything like I did at twenty, I encourage you again to embrace not knowing. Asking more questions than you give answers. Be open to the opinions of others, even if they seem ridiculous or rub you the wrong way. Question the things that resonate with you. Keep an open mind as you develop your worldview and values, and remember that the world is not simply black and white but mostly grey.