Six habits for keeping trust in each other and in our institutions of knowledge. They come from the chapter “How to Rebuild Trust in Truth” in Michael Shermer’s 2022 book Conspiracy, restated here in plain words.
His point, and mine, is that this is not only about science. It is about every community that checks its claims against reality, and those communities are a civic trust, to be kept and handed on.
Reinforce the norms of honesty and rationality, and treat them as matters of character, not only of method.
Shermer lists test statements. Agreeing with the first two and disagreeing with the last three is the open-minded pattern.
| Statement | Open-minded answer |
|---|---|
| Beliefs should always be revised in response to new evidence. | Agree |
| People should always consider evidence that goes against their beliefs. | Agree |
| Loyalty to one’s ideals matters more than open-mindedness. | Disagree |
| No one can talk me out of something I know is right. | Disagree |
| Some beliefs are too important to abandon, however good the case against them. | Disagree |
Talk with people who disagree. Like-minded groups drift to extremes, which is group polarization, and an echo chamber hides the drift. See also The Perception Gap.
A soldier defends beliefs against threats. A scout tries to see what is there, not what one wishes were there. The idea is Julia Galef’s, and it is covered under Hold Your Identity Lightly.
The five standard tactics of denialism:
See also Detecting Baloney.
The phrase is Jonathan Rauch’s, from his 2021 book. It names the social rules by which a society settles what is true. The reality-based communities that live by them are scientists, journalists, government agencies, and the courts. As Shermer summarizes Rauch, they share these commitments:
| Commitment | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Fallibilism | Any of us might be wrong. |
| Objectivity | There is an empirical reality we can approach. |
| Disconfirmation | Welcome challenge, peer review, and fact-checking. |
| Accountability | Own your mistakes. |
| Pluralism | Insist on a diversity of viewpoints and the freedom to criticize. |
| Civility | Argue calmly, and about the claim, not the person. |
| Professionalism | Reputations, earned over time, keep people honest. |
| No bullshitting | Reject charlatans outright. |
The list rests on the same ground as the rest of this site: scientific naturalism, Enlightenment humanism, open dialogue, and free expression. None of it tries to silence disagreement.