'Speak with evidence, prove with facts'

(Baonghean) - Back in school, my teacher once told us: "Students, scientists have just released some interesting information: The cleaner a person is, the weaker and more susceptible they are to illness. They conducted experiments on groups of people with different bathing frequencies. The cleanest people bathed twice a day, while the 'dirtiest' bathed once a week. The results showed that those who were 'dirty' rarely got minor illnesses, colds, etc., unlike those who preferred cleanliness..."

The whole class sat in stunned silence, each student dumbfounded by the strange information the teacher had just shared. After a long pause, the teacher looked around and asked, "Doesn't anyone have any comments?" I timidly raised my hand: "Sir, which country's scientists said that?" The teacher burst out laughing, surprising me and the whole class. I, in particular, was worried that I might have asked a ridiculously silly question.

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“If I hadn’t cited scientists and just said that was my conclusion, you would have probably protested. Or, if it hadn’t been me but a classmate, you might have considered it nonsense. Remember, information—on its own—is not necessarily valuable. For information to be verified and accepted, the person providing the information or the supporting evidence is crucial. Now, open your books to the lesson on proverbs and idioms. Our first example will be the idiom ‘Speak with evidence, provide proof.’”

Much later, my teacher's interesting lesson occasionally came back to my mind. It was during a conversation where I overheard stories about "what people say." These were reports whose basis was cited as some vague "survey."

These are articles that begin with phrases like "public uproar, online community uproar"... The information flashes before my eyes but hardly leaves a significant impression on my mind, so I categorize them as "frivolous information."

However, that kind of information is still not as "dangerous" as information that is presented in a haphazard, nonsensical way. This type of information also comes in many forms. At the milder end, a self-proclaimed "hot girl" uses photos from the internet but claims them as her own to show off her (imaginary) luxurious life.

Even more serious is the use of photos from several years ago to solicit support for flood victims. This type of information could even be used for fraudulent purposes, distorting the truth, and defaming others.

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"Actions speak louder than words" - but in today's age of mass media, even with "evidence," it's not always trustworthy. Cultivate the habit of examining issues from multiple perspectives and questioning the authenticity of sources. Learn to be skeptical and cautious with information, because half the truth isn't necessarily the truth!

Hai Trieu