Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Why The Term THEY Bothers Me When Used To Explain Your Theory, Or, Can We Please All Agree To Stop Using "They" To Back Up Our Theories And Beliefs For Us?

 Can I just say how much I dislike the use of the term "they" when used in relation to conspiracy theories and scare tactics-or really at all for that matter, even when it comes to defending and rationalizing your own personal beliefs? I was met with statements at least three times this week of "oh c'mon Dominique, I can't believe you actually buy THAT. THAT's just what THEY want you to think." Really people? REALLY?? Let's put on our deductive reasoning and critical thinking caps, shall we? Let's slow down with the THEY talk, mkay? In fact, let's bring it to a screeching halt, because every time you use the word "they" to prop up your system of beliefs (or the specific situational belief you're trying to express and/or explain at any given time) the terrorists win. K? Thanks Obama.
 But real talk, using the term THEY in reference to some lofty group of people operating from the shadows as a source of blame for whatever is plaguing you this minute or this hour or this day is LAZY. It tells me that you can't defend or explain your own system of dearly held beliefs. It tells me that you don't know what the actual reason is behind what it is you're trying express. It tells me that you haven't put this particular belief or system of beliefs through its paces-the first (and last) of which is Occam's Razor. What is Occam's Razor, you might ask? Well, handy that I've already written about it, but for those of you who aren't up for the task of sifting through my ramblings, I'll give you the short definition, which is this: Occam's Razor is a concept used in theoretical physics that states that however many explanations you might find for a given set of circumstances or a given situation, the simplest is always the best and likely correct. If you feel yourself being drawn to use the word THEY all the time, your theory could probably do with a liberal application of Occam's Razor. Also, if you find yourself using the term THEY more than once a week (or the term THEM for that matter) in the the above way, you might just be an alien conspiracy theorist and if you are, then you're done. Go sit in the corner with your tinfoil hat. And by the way, it's not a faraday cage for your brain. You're welcome. Back to the drawing board for you. So, can we all agree to take a giant step back from the use of the term THEY for awhile?

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