You're Not An Horrible Person You Are 15 Years Old

A lot of propaganda is not actually misinformation.

A lot of propaganda is not even half-truths.

A lot of propaganda actually is telling you the truth, but is feeding you a specific conclusion that the author wants you to draw from it.

This makes it a lot more robust, because if you go searching for sources to confirm the information, you'll find them!

So an important thing in evaluating information is not just "Is this true?" but also:

"Wait, does this lead inevitably to the conclusion this person is presenting? What other conclusions could I draw here? What other reasons for this piece of info could there be? How does this information fit into what I already know?"

"What are the motivations of the person who wrote or created this? Why did they want me to draw that conclusion? Do they themselves believe the conclusion they're drawing, or are they just trying to convince me? If they do believe it themself, why? If not, why are they trying to convince me? What's going on for them here?"

"What other pieces of information might I be missing? What am I extrapolating without noticing? What did this person deliberately leave out, or want me to ignore or gloss over? What other contexts and comparisons are applicable here?"

"How does this information with in with not only the specific conclusion that is presented, but with the author's overarching thesis? When I use it, how well does it fit into my thesis? When I take a step back, does this piece of information actually make any sense as supporting evidence for this person's thesis?"

Hopefully this is helpful, and can help your skills at evaluating information and arguments become more robust!

I think some people forget that some literature and some media is meant to be deeply uncomfortable and unsettling. It's meant to make you have a very visceral reaction to it. If you genuinely can't handle these stories then you are under no obligation to consume them but acting as if they have no purpose or as if people don't have a right to tell these stories, stories that often relate to the darkest or most disturbing parts of life, then you should do some introspection.

‏Today's vetted fundraisers

I am displaced in southern Gaza, while my wife and daughter remain in the north under constant bombardment. I live in constant fear for their lives, especially after losing my child before the war. Now, I am terrified of losing my wife and daughter as well, as the situation worsens every day.

While I care for my parents and siblings here in the south, my heart is with my wife and daughter. I cannot bear the thought of losing them too. Life in Gaza has become unbearable, and living under constant threat has filled our lives with fear and despair.

I am asking for help to secure a safe passage for my daughter, to save her from this harsh reality. Any support would be a chance for a new and safer life for all of us.

gofundme.com

Donate to Urgent Help me meet my father and get out to safety, organized by Mohammed Almeshaal

HELLO BELOVED COMMUNITY My name is Mohammed, I'm making this … Mohammed Almeshaal needs your support for Urgent Help me meet my father and

@el-shab-hussein @nabulsi @irhabiya @appsa @wellwaterhysteria

he has consumed my brain

When Shirahama writes smth encouraging about magic which also very much applies to art>>>>>

🎨color study note

I was naive to think this site would be more sensible to Mahmoud's situation. This is just like on twitter where people share his posts but nothing else is done.

Only 3.2k left on his campaign yet it feels like he'll reach it in an eternity if ever. He only received €16 today. Very fun fact : if it keeps going at this rate (which is already wishful thinking) then he'll reach his goal in 200 days :)) !! I don't think displaying his suffering and photos of all the people he lost on here would do anything to help. I'll only ask you to donate if you want to help a young palestinian taking care of his family. And if possible share his campaign as widely as you can and to not forget him please.

You can donate here.

Vetted by @gazafunds

I'll keep on adding update to this post to keep track of the progress of his campaign.

What a sweet and powerful gesture. It's frustrating when people say "what do you expect them to do? they're entertainers not activists!" look at how simple this gesture of solidarity is and how resonant it is! This is wonderful.

I can’t stop thinking about Tala Abu Ajwa.

She was 10 years old.

Killed by Israel on the 4th of September, 2024.