2 min read Cognitive Integrity

To See The World As It Really Is

To See The World As It Really Is
Photo by ANIRUDH / Unsplash

Why Seeking Truth Requires Skepticism—Even Toward Praise

We are often taught to treat praise as validation: a signal that we were right, that we performed well, that others agree and therefore we must be on the right track. Yet if the goal is to understand the world as it truly is, that assumption can be misleading.

Praise can feel like clarity, but more often it reflects comfort, conformity, or projection. In systems shaped by social cohesion, approval is not always evidence of accuracy—it is frequently a sign that expectations have been met, or that discomfort has been avoided.

Criticism, by contrast, offers a different kind of value. Even when not entirely correct, it highlights friction points where a model may need adjustment or deeper examination. In this sense, criticism is data: a prompt to refine, test, or reconsider assumptions.

Some of the most enduring distortions survive precisely because they are wrapped in agreement. They are the ideas no one questions—not because they are true, but because they are too easy to accept.

Real-World Examples

  • Fast Takes During COVID
    • In the early months of the pandemic, confident statements and oversimplified answers gained rapid approval, especially on social media. Scientists who voiced uncertainty or called for more data were often ignored or dismissed, despite the fact that it was impossible to immediately understand the viral patterns. This yielded premature conclusions about masks, transmission, school closures, and treatments that later had to be walked back. Praise was tied to clarity of delivery, not depth of truth.
  • The Low-Fat Era and Manufactured Consensus
    • In the 1990s, “low-fat” became the gold standard of health advice. It was promoted by experts, advertised by food companies, and reinforced by governments. Anyone questioning it, especially on biological grounds, was often ignored or marginalized. Decades later, we now know that added sugar, not fat, was driving metabolic dysfunction. Widespread praise made shallow logic untouchable.

Double Check for Truth

If you’re someone who wants to see clearly and not just feel affirmed, then you can use praise as an opportunity to double check your thinking. Ask yourself:

  • Why do they agree with me?
  • What did I say that made it easy to approve?
  • What hasn’t been questioned yet, and why not?

The goal isn’t to reject praise out of cynicism. Sometimes it is reflecting the truth, and sometimes it isn’t. The goal is to stay in alignment with what’s real - even when everyone agrees with you.

Jen