In this episode we have an informative yakking session with Gleb Tsipursky of Intentional insights. We talk about his new initiative The Pro Truth Pledge, which we have enthusiastically taken. I Pledge To: Share the truth Sacrifice: I will strive to avoid sharing misinformation – including clear lies, statements that go against reliable fact-checking organizations, or the scientific consensus on a given topic – even in service to a cause I believe is good. Balance: I will do my best to share true information, even if it does not support my opinion. Verify: Before I share information, I will make a reasonable effort to ensure it is true, for instance by using reliable fact-checking websites or evaluating the scientific consensus on the topic. Source: I will endeavor to share my sources, providing a way for others to verify my information. Clarify: I will aim to express myself in ways that clearly distinguishes between what is my opinion and what are the facts. Honor the truth Acknowledge: When others share facts, I will strive to acknowledge that the facts are true, even when I disagree with the person’s conclusions or position. Retract: If my information is challenged, I will make a reasonable effort to verify that it is true before repeating it and retract it if I cannot verify it. Defend: I will endeavor to defend others when they come under attack for sharing the truth, even if we have different values. Align: I will do my best to align my opinions and my actions with facts, regardless of whether the facts support my intuitions and values. Encourage the truth Request Retractions: I will strive to ask people who share information that reliable sources, such as credible fact-checking organizations, have shown to be false to retract their statements, even if they are friends or allies. Challenge: I will, to the best of my ability, compassionately challenge those around me to stop using sources that reliable sources have shown to be systematically unreliable, even if these systematically unreliable sources support my perspective. Respect Expertise: I will aim to recognize the opinions of those who have substantially more expertise on a topic than myself as more likely to be accurate in their assessments in cases where the facts cannot be determined accurately, while reserving the right to choose whether to update my opinions toward their perspective. Celebrate Updating: I will gladly celebrate those who retract incorrect statements and update their beliefs toward the truth. https://www.protruthpledge.org/