Honest Words

Another popular Darwin misquote came through my Facebook feed yesterday.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.

While I would love to use that sentiment to talk about sustainable business practices, Darwin never said this nor is it consistent with his theories.

My friend Carol recently had an article published in a local print magazine. The inexperienced editor changed her word segue to Segway and made other erroneous editorial changes without her knowledge before publishing.  She shared her dismay with me that readers will think she made those errors.

Now someone is claiming the tragedy at Sandy Hook is a hoax in order to gain gun control. No doubt there will be some people who leech on his conspiracy invention. With the abundance of conspiracy aficionados, who knows how long this one will float around and whether it will eventually disappear or worse yet, pick up new believers.

Most people are aware that information on the internet and passed around through social media is not necessarily true or even close to accurate. Words get invented, massaged or distorted much like in the game of Telephone I played as a young child.

The problem existed long before internet or other broadcast technology, even before the printing press when people relied on scribes (many who were uneducated) or tribal storytellers for their most vital information.  So how is anyone supposed to know what is true?

1. Confirm, fact-check, do your own research. While we can confirm some facts through research, sadly much information gets filtered through personal or corporate agendas and belief systems.
2. Commit to personal and corporate integrity. Make sure what you put out to the world is as true as you know it to be. If you find out later you were wrong, own up to it.

It sounds simple but it’s amazing how many people find honesty so difficult.