Just the Facts

Just the Facts

In my spare time, I read grammar books. One of my favorites is The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White. William Strunk, a professor of English at Cornell University, created a “little book” of grammar rules for his students. E.B. White, an essayist for the New Yorker, was a student of Strunk’s. He expanded the little book into an essential tool for all writers.

My favorite section is “Words and Expressions Commonly Misused.” Here the authors explain the proper use of aggravate/irritate, imply/infer, among/between and many more words which writers confuse or misuse. On my most recent reading, two entries stood out: Alternate/Alternative and Fact.

Alternate “means every other one in a series; the second, one of two possibilities … an alternate may stand for ‘a substitute.’ Alternative “connotes a matter of choice that is never present with alternate.” In other words, one may substitute an alternate, but not an alternative. The book clarifies with an example: “As the flooded road left them with no alternative [choice], they took an alternate [substitute] route.” 

Today’s political arena seems to be exploding with “alternative facts” —statements which people choose to believe. According to Strunk and White, the word fact can only be used with “matters of direct verification, not of matters of judgment.” Facts are provable; matters of judgment are not. “Ice cream is cold,” is a fact. “Ice cream is good” is a matter of judgment.

Many people today confuse fact with matters of judgment. They accept statements made by politicians and pundits without question, without verification, and without thought. They agree with statements which support their own position and reject those that don’t. Confirmation bias, “the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories,” has overtaken critical research when considering news reports. Sources for news are chosen or rejected based on whether they confirm or inflame our opinions. Agreement trumps facts. 

The Elements of Style is one of E. B. White’s most useful books, but his most famous is Charlotte’s Web. Wilbur, a happy young pig, is told that “they’re fattening you up because they are going to kill you. Turn you into bacon and ham.”  Wilbur, justifiably upset, crashes around his pen squealing “I don’t want to die!” Charlotte, Wilbur’s spider friend, assures him that he will not die because she is going to save him.

Charlotte’s plan is to weave words into her web which will convince the farmer to spare Wilbur’s life. She does this, proclaiming him “Some pig,” “Terrific,” and “Radiant.” Finding these words on the web, the amazed farmers believe that Wilbur is exceptional. None consider the spider who wove the words, the spider who says, “Trust me, Wilbur. People are very gullible. They'll believe anything they see in print.” 

Don’t believe everything you read, hear or tweet. Consider the “pig” in question. Not every pig is terrific. Not every statement is true. Don’t be confused or misused by the shouting of politicians, pundits or the press. Do some research. Don’t believe something just because you want it to be true. Verify your facts. Read beyond the headlines. Look behind the web. 

(Websites for checking information include: factcheck.org; politifact.com: snopes.com; and truthorfiction.com.