To block so-called "misinformation" is not merely a restriction on speech; it is a fundamental assault on the sanctity of the human mind.
When a society decides that certain ideas must be suppressed, it does more than censor words—it wages war on the process of thought itself.
The danger in attempting to “protect” people from misinformation lies in the arrogant presumption that a central authority can, or should, decide what is true and false on behalf of others.
Such a notion is anathema to reason, #freedom, and any society that values human integrity. The imposition of this authority does not protect the individual; it enslaves him.
Truth is not a static decree handed down by any authority, nor can it be pre-packaged and fed to a passive populace. It is a living process of discovery that requires the free interplay of ideas—challenged, questioned, and tested in the crucible of reason.
The moment a society begins to block ideas under the guise of preventing “misinformation,” it substitutes force for the mind’s natural faculty to discern and judge.
And this, fundamentally, is a violation of the individual’s right to think, to question, and to learn by his own rational means. To accept “truth” as dictated by authority is to abandon one’s own judgment, to forsake independence in favor of intellectual servitude.
What those who advocate for blocking misinformation fail to see—or perhaps see all too well—is that such censorship erodes the foundation of individual autonomy.
A government or institution that assumes the role of arbiter over truth claims the right to judge not only what is false, but also what is valid for the individual to know. In doing so, it undermines the very core of freedom.
This is not a safeguard; it is a method of control, one that paves the way for an authority that enforces obedience under the pretense of protecting society.
Such a system inevitably leads to the dominance of dogma over truth, for ideas that escape scrutiny by force will fester in darkness, unchallenged and unexamined.
To block misinformation is to imply that the individual is incapable of discerning truth for himself, that he must be “guided” by those who know better.
This is the path to a society of intellectual submission, where each person is expected to accept only what is deemed “acceptable.”
A mind forced into compliance with state-sanctioned ideas is a mind barred from exercising its highest function: the pursuit of knowledge.
In such a society, rational discourse gives way to sanctioned opinion, critical inquiry is replaced by unquestioning allegiance, and men cease to be thinkers—they become obedient followers.
The concept of blocking misinformation is fundamentally opposed to the very nature of truth.
Truth does not require protection from dissent; it thrives in the light of open debate, where it is exposed to the scrutiny of logic, evidence, and reason. To insulate it from challenge is to declare that truth cannot withstand examination, that it needs the bolstering of censorship. But this is a lie.
Truth is resilient, independent, and in no need of shelter.
Only lies fear exposure; only falsehoods cannot endure the piercing light of inquiry.
A society that values reason and individual autonomy must reject any form of censorship, particularly the guise of blocking “misinformation.”
The only proper response to error is more truth, not suppression. The only protection worth having is the freedom to think, to question, and to decide what is valid without interference.
Anything less is an abandonment of the intellect and an affront to the dignity of the individual mind.
@jordanbpeterson
• • •
S. Tominaga AKA CSW
Nov 3, 2024
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1853017438360830141.html
https://t.me/S_Tominaga/1811
When a society decides that certain ideas must be suppressed, it does more than censor words—it wages war on the process of thought itself.
The danger in attempting to “protect” people from misinformation lies in the arrogant presumption that a central authority can, or should, decide what is true and false on behalf of others.
Such a notion is anathema to reason, #freedom, and any society that values human integrity. The imposition of this authority does not protect the individual; it enslaves him.
Truth is not a static decree handed down by any authority, nor can it be pre-packaged and fed to a passive populace. It is a living process of discovery that requires the free interplay of ideas—challenged, questioned, and tested in the crucible of reason.
The moment a society begins to block ideas under the guise of preventing “misinformation,” it substitutes force for the mind’s natural faculty to discern and judge.
And this, fundamentally, is a violation of the individual’s right to think, to question, and to learn by his own rational means. To accept “truth” as dictated by authority is to abandon one’s own judgment, to forsake independence in favor of intellectual servitude.
What those who advocate for blocking misinformation fail to see—or perhaps see all too well—is that such censorship erodes the foundation of individual autonomy.
A government or institution that assumes the role of arbiter over truth claims the right to judge not only what is false, but also what is valid for the individual to know. In doing so, it undermines the very core of freedom.
This is not a safeguard; it is a method of control, one that paves the way for an authority that enforces obedience under the pretense of protecting society.
Such a system inevitably leads to the dominance of dogma over truth, for ideas that escape scrutiny by force will fester in darkness, unchallenged and unexamined.
To block misinformation is to imply that the individual is incapable of discerning truth for himself, that he must be “guided” by those who know better.
This is the path to a society of intellectual submission, where each person is expected to accept only what is deemed “acceptable.”
A mind forced into compliance with state-sanctioned ideas is a mind barred from exercising its highest function: the pursuit of knowledge.
In such a society, rational discourse gives way to sanctioned opinion, critical inquiry is replaced by unquestioning allegiance, and men cease to be thinkers—they become obedient followers.
The concept of blocking misinformation is fundamentally opposed to the very nature of truth.
Truth does not require protection from dissent; it thrives in the light of open debate, where it is exposed to the scrutiny of logic, evidence, and reason. To insulate it from challenge is to declare that truth cannot withstand examination, that it needs the bolstering of censorship. But this is a lie.
Truth is resilient, independent, and in no need of shelter.
Only lies fear exposure; only falsehoods cannot endure the piercing light of inquiry.
A society that values reason and individual autonomy must reject any form of censorship, particularly the guise of blocking “misinformation.”
The only proper response to error is more truth, not suppression. The only protection worth having is the freedom to think, to question, and to decide what is valid without interference.
Anything less is an abandonment of the intellect and an affront to the dignity of the individual mind.
@jordanbpeterson
• • •
S. Tominaga AKA CSW
Nov 3, 2024
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1853017438360830141.html
https://t.me/S_Tominaga/1811
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