How to Have a Bad Day Step 28: Don't Think too Hard

“It’s hard to know what to believe anymore…”

"No one knows what the truth is"

"There are so many people saying so many things, I don't know what to believe"

"It's too overwhelming. I can't handle it."

The Flood of Information

It’s hard to know what to believe anymore. The flood of information isn’t just out there—it’s hunting us down. Following us. Demanding our attention. Our phones, TV's, radios, Social Media Ads, even checking your email is not safe… it’s all right there, all the time, shaping us, and molding us into it's image.

And when all I wanted was to find a recipe I saved on Facebook suddenly I’m interrupted with a post declaring, “Jesus was a Buddhist.” (Of course I have to comment. Supper can wait!)

For those of us over 40, we remember what life was like without the deluge of information engulfing us 24/7. The TV stations would actually go off the air. When the static came on, it was time for bed. We also used to get all the information we needed from just a few voices— namely TV anchors and church pulpits. They told us who to fear, who killed Kennedy, how to raise our kids, which doctrines will send us to hell, and which foods would save us or kill us. (“Throw out the butter and eat this new plastic spread instead!”)

It wasn’t that we didn’t want to think for ourselves—it’s that questioning authority was frowned upon. We respected our elders. Nothing wrong with that. But "elder" soon came to mean anyone in a position of authority. And since most of us stayed inside our communal echo chambers, we rarely bumped into people that held perspectives that challenged our assumptions.

Fast forward to today: the sources have multiplied, but the pattern hasn’t really changed. Now we just pick our favorite commentator, influencer, or podcast host and let them do the thinking for us. It was summed up perfectly by a 70-something relative of mine. I asked him what he thought about a current event, and he shrugged: “I turn on my shows and I think what they tell me to think.”

Well… at least he’s honest. Most people don’t even realize that’s what’s happening.

People Don't Know How to Talk to Each Other

Here’s the real problem with unlimited information: it doesn’t just tell us what to think—it discourages us from thinking at all. A phrase I hear all the time is: “Well, who knows what the truth is?” or “No one can really know.” And the classic—“It’s complicated.” In others words, this conversation is over. Or they use these phrases while at the same time clinging to a dogmatic position built entirely on hearsay. All they know is they're right and it doesn't matter what you have to say about it. If they believe the sun is shining and you try to show them evidence that it's wet outside, cognitive dissonance takes over and they bail. In short, cognitive dissonance is the mental gymnastics we do to protect our comfort when reality exposes our inconsistencies.

Let me put it another way: I have a friend, Mary, who runs a Raptor Rehab Centre. (Owls, hawks, eagles— It’s awesome.) Now, imagine we are having a conversation about why my conure bobs her head.

I say, “Well, I don’t think we’ll ever really know,” and she responds, “Actually, avian behavior is such and such…” and starts explaining the reason why to me from years of research and hands-on experience. How silly would it be for me to cut her off with, “Yeah, well, that’s just one way to look at it. I’ve had parakeets before as well, so we can ever really know why they do that.”

See the problem? It’s not that the truth isn’t out there—it’s that we often prefer the comfort of our assumptions to the humility of being challenged or corrected.

Looking back over the decades of my life I am embarrassed by some of the things I used to believe. I carry some grief and frustration over the fact that I blindly trusted those in authority over me and didn't ask THEM why they think the way they do. As I started challenging my own narratives, some things were cemented. Others were set aside as I await more information. And many firmly held beliefs fell apart like a sand castle trying to stand against a wave.

Here is an example of a default opinion I held that fell apart when it was challenged.

Constantine

You know the one. He “paganized” Christianity, changed the Sabbath, put the Bible together... Every week there's a new meme regurgitating these myths...with conviction. No evidence, no cross reference, no sources. Just passionate opinions. They usually go something like this: early Christians practiced the Jewish traditions. Then he came along, blended Roman religion with it, slapped on a cross, and voilà—our whole spiritual heritage was corrupted.

I continue to put out the challenge: What are your sources? No one can seem to give me any, but they are 100% convinced of this narrative. Maybe they have a unique, one print only history book in their basement that the rest of us don't have access to.

What did I find when I read about his life and the early church myself? Wow! It's fascinating! I encourage everyone to read history for themselves. My opinion? Constantine should be venerated for what he did, not despised and slandered. Yes he was far from perfect (no politician is, Roman or otherwise), but he didn’t "invent" Christianity. Believers had been meeting on the first day of the week since the resurrection (that's in your Bible folks). They were already baptizing, breaking bread, discussing doctrine, weeding out gnostics and other false writings, and for centuries! And all while being brutally hunted and tortured!

What Constantine did was make Christianity legal. And with the focus of trying to survive off the table, they started (of course) arguing about the details of their faith. He got so frustrated with their division, actually quoting Jesus to them about how they're supposed to be one, that he demanded they get together and work it out.

He was a defender of not only the Christians in his own realm, but in the world. He heard that Persia was persecuting Christians so he sent a letter to Shapur II. Here's a modern summary of that letter:

“God has granted me success and authority over nations, and I want all people to know and worship Him. That’s why I’m asking you, Shapur, to look after the Christians in your realm. They’re your subjects, so don’t harm them. Treat them well, because their prayers will bring blessing not only to me, but to you and your kingdom.”

I am currently working on a more detailed account of his life and the myths around it. I will share it when it's complete as I feel the lies around him actually fuel a lot of really bad and dangerous doctrines and beliefs.

Final Thought

The early church didn’t survive brutal persecution by shrugging their shoulders and saying, “Well, who really knows?” They anchored themselves to what Jesus actually said and lived it out. That’s why we’re still here. Truth isn’t relative and it's not hiding. Lean in. Ask questions. Challenge your own assumptions. Truth doesn’t mind being examined—and when you find it, it sets you free. That’s a recipe for a much better day.

S