We live in a digital world. This means that we are constantly surrounded by information. A large amount of this information is solid, reliable, and verifiable. Sadly, there is also a lot of untrue "information" circulating the internet. This "information" which seems to be every bit as popular as actual and verifiable knowledge. So what do we do? We have to work hard to discover what is true, and what isn't, or at least what seems to be untrue.
We live in a pretty fantastic age. An age where we have access to the past through constant use of the internet, where information can be stored and never exposed to the elements of the physical world. This means that to an extent we can fight to uncover what is true and what isn't. That's something which is pretty great about a digital world. We can fact-check ourselves and others. This is something which is genuinely important. In a world where fame can happen overnight (due to an astonishing discovery, or a viral video for example), it is important to ground oneself in knowledge and the pursuit of knowledge.
The world we live in is filled with all sorts of messages. Thankfully some people want to help us gain a bit more knowledge about truth. There are websites such as Snopes, and Politifact which exist to help confirm what is true and filter out what is false. These websites work to help us move towards a more honest society, by calling out those who make demonstrably false claims. In a world where false statements can just as easily become viral as true ones and where untrue beliefs can seem to go unchecked, it's easy to become discouraged about the truth and the pursuit of it. In order to achieve the best possible world, it is necessary to push towards the truth. Pursuing truth is a task we must all strive to accomplish. It is something which moves journalists to tackle corrupt politicians. It is something which motivates scientists to conduct experiments. It is something which drives historians to rewrite history books.
Truth urges people to become better than they once were. It pushes us to not accept things as they are.
I pursue truth because truth enables me to understand my world a bit better. I pursue truth to gain insight into the actual, living history of the world. I constantly fact-check myself and others, because I believe that the world is a better place once we know the truth about nature, civilization, and humanity. I believe it is important that we constantly move towards more honesty.
