Have you ever thought to yourself why do we think the way we think? Why do we hold a political party in high esteem over the other? Why do we think that “thick madams” are less beautiful than women who are thinner? Why do we think that people with multiple tattoos contribute less to society than those who have little to none? Why do we think that blacks are inferior to others because of their skin colour?

Based on the Nature vs Nurture theory, some of our world views might very well be innate. We could be born with it. However, we cannot deny that our perspectives are inherited by what has been taught to us. Our outlook has been shaped by our parents and guardians, friends, textbooks used in school, the media and otherwise A lot of what we know is true. Much of how we view things is equally incorrect and utterly flawed. Is it safe to say then that in some cases we have been living a lie?

Lies have been propagated to humans throughout history. Let us not blame boomers for this one. My father always says history is often written in favour of the victor, not the victim. But why are mortals comfortable with shaping a narrative in their favour at the expense of their listeners? Money? Fame? Power?

This would explain why Christopher Columbus was viewed as a great explorer and discoverer of Jamaica in the history books. However, if we read between the lines, we see that other individuals (Tainos) were here before he came and that he enslaved these individuals to do his bidding.

Even today, we are not exempt from a narrative of flawed perspectives. We are quick to believe what is on the internet. Media sells us the lie and we believe it, thereby shaping our world view. It is quite alarming how sensationalism sells. Who tells us that it is true?

I recall a Jamaican newspaper did an article on my brother regarding his academic accomplishments. They took a picture of him sitting close to a tree with a book. The caption of that photo suggested that he was studying under his favourite breadfruit tree at our home. This was a lie, because my brother distinctly told the media that he does not like to study outside.

People who rely on media for information are found between a rock and a hard place. Denzil Washington puts it well. He said once in an interview for his movie “Fences”, “If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you do read it, you’re misinformed”. He further said we live in a world where the media strives to be first and not to be truthful, no matter who it hurts. He is right.

Lies will always be dispersed in this life. This is an unfortunate truth. We cannot depend on media or anyone else to be responsible with what they feed us. However, we can filter out what we listen to, separating truth from half-truths. Once that happens, we will change the narrative for now and in the future.

^{Photo by “Joel” Tucker (IG: @jo_media_)}