I had a lot to say in my twenties. I was what you’d call a smart-ass. The problem was that I was quite good at arguing against my own position. I didn’t like writing that way. It felt unclean. I think part of this was a rooted fear of being wrong.

Well, it is years later and while I was told back then “don’t believe everything you read on the internet,” that was before malicious bots and bad actors filled the web with pseudoscience and false claims as an explicit attack on democratic customs. There is much wrong on the internet today. We still struggle to tell the difference between an individual’s comment and a weaponized machine feeding itself.

Today, saying something is a necessary countercurrent to these unscrupulous people in control of aforementioned bots. By being objective, constructive, and thorough in our analysis of facts, we find truth and remain grounded in what is real. A truth informed by rigor supports our calling to return the power to the people and not to those who wish to manipulate us into division and even decline.

So slow down and have something to say. It’s okay to be wrong, so long as we change our minds when presented with evidence. Sharing with one another isn’t about perfection or winning arguments. It’s about a shared pursuit of knowledge that benefits all. It’s about expressing our connection in a way we all can appreciate on a common level that improves our lives together.