Cultivate skepticism as a virtue. In this exercise you will upgrade what Professor Neil Postman of New York University calls your "crap detector." The term is from Ernest Hemingway, who said that it was one of the writer's most important tools. Each day, keep an eye peeled for the most telling instance of lying, deceiving, and distortion or concealment of the truth. This will take no extra time at all, since these messages and images are thrust at you continually, unless you live in a cabin at Walden Pond without a television set or computer. For example: • Billboards • Advertising flyers • Newspapers • Commercials on radio or TV {and sometimes the newscasts!} • Opinions thrust on us by other people. For the top choice each day, identify the technique of deception or distortion being used. {It's going to be a hard call!} Share your examples with friends and colleagues, and invite their comments and observations.
( Ronald Gross )
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