One of the primary foundations of RJsCorner is stated, once again, in the title above. I know some of you come here through RSS feeds and such and don’t often see my header of my blog.

Think For Yourself, Question Everything, Never Stop Learning.

I have been using those words for so long in my life, I really don’t know if the words when strung together, are my own, or if they are “borrowed” from someone else. I know that when I Google these words, way down on the list comes my header here. I’m kinda proud of that. I know one of my heroes, Einstein, is famous for the last one, and many others are recognized for the other two. Ok, enough of this self-congratulations, it’s time to get to the core of this post.

Just because you find it on the internet does NOT mean it is true.

In a democracy that ours once was, freedom of the press is perhaps the most critical part of our success. Those words basically meant that we should all have a voice in how our government is run. The fundemental problem with that today is that it is now too easy to have your say. With the Internet and all the social media sites, any idiot with a lie to tell can easily find a venue to release his rants.

That’s ok in theory, everyone should have their say, but those who read their words have to understand everything on the Internet is not true, and some are outright lies. I have a love/hate relationship with the news source Medium. If you want to see a full range of thought about a particular subject, The Medium should be on your list. But, with every article you read, you must always realize the content is likely from someone who is just not that knowledgeable on the subject. As the old saying goes

You don’t have to know what you are saying, as long as you say it with authority

Many of the articles are well written, and many are giving personal testimony, but few have a well-rounded view of the subject they are talking about. Since I am an Autistic/Aspie I want to read about different views on the subject. Some say Autism is a super-power, and eventually humanity will completely evolve into that mold. Others say Autism must be eradicated, or at least controlled. Many of the statistics cited are likely wrong, some are likely even made up.

I still look to the major news sources for reliable new. Those such as The New York Times, and PBS Newshour, but even then, there are those like Fox News who purposelessly slant the news totally to present their biased views.

I think the secret to getting the most balanced news is to read widely, and with skepticism.