Inference: are you being conned?

Yes, inference is a big word, maybe, but because it influences what you believe is true, it’s part of your everyday experience. Too much of what we consume through media and especially social media ranges from what's pretend to what's a lie. But what they all have in common is inference. Inference is overwhelmingly used to influence what we think is true or not. And because it’s a technique that requires our participation* it compromises our ability to discern the truth or better stated, it can turn off or interfere with our bullshitometer.

*Establishing what’s true through inference is a subtle and deceptive technique that manipulates belief, one requiring you to draw conclusions based on what’s suggested but not on an explicit statement of truth.

Case in point, in someone’s Instagram profile they stand in front of a large home with several expensive cars parked out front.They don’t say they own the home or cars, but the inference is that they do. Are you sure? But more to the point, do you care if they do? This is the problem. When you have diminished desire to detect truth, how can you fully trust your own conclusions? Stay with me.....

The Problem

Navigating tough times requires an honest and truthful appraisal of yourself and your situation. Your ability to do this is compromised because you allow yourself to believe what’s inferred. Asking “is it true” allows you to question what you’re being told. You can then establish what’s believable and accept troubling circumstance as is and not what you want them to be. You’re now free to steadily move through the process of problem resolution rather than becoming sidetracked by some false belief.

Practice

Let’s start becoming more discerning. Begin today by spotting instances where inference is used to influence what you believe. Focusing on social media ask yourself what am I seeing, what am I being told and what’s being suggested by what I see and hear? Look at reels and videos. Notice if supposedly random circumstances are perfectly videoed. Does the videography suggest it’s a fake, but it looks real? Remember that how literature is categorized (e.g. fiction vs. non-fiction) doesn’t apply to social media.

Let’s sharpen our powers of discernment, have fun!