I read something online recently about a person well known in their own community, whom I happen know personally. (To give full disclosure, this person is not a relative or close friend, is not famous in the usual sense of the word, and is not someone with whom I am in regular contact at the present time.)
The person I have known is deeply flawed, and has made, and from what I have heard, continues to make, poor personal decisions which impact upon other people in harmful ways. But what I read online did not reveal any of that. Instead, I read a glowing self-description, with distorted facts, misinformation, and some outright redistribution of the truth.
Reading this was a little disconcerting, to be honest. For a moment, I felt forced to reevaluate the first hand knowledge I have of this person, wondering at this rather late date if I may have somehow been wrong in my original assessment of their lack of character. It would not be the first time that has happened. I have been wrong before, and I am always glad to admit to the error of my ways.
But after serious reflection, I don't think I was wrong. I think, instead, it is a further revelation of that very lack of personal integrity which I observed years ago which allowed the information to be placed in that forum in the first place, and an ongoing cynicism and disrespect for those whom this person is serving which allow it to remain. I wish this person would feel ashamed of their self, but sadly, I don't think it's going to happen.
I don't want people wandering to my facebook page and trying to figure out the person to whom I am referring. You won't find the information there. I stumbled across a website while searching for something which prompted all this, and I have been thinking about it ever since I first saw the posting.
As a mature adult, I am all too aware of the many hidden facets of most people's lives. If you are over the age of the 20, you probably have skeletons in the closet you would prefer to remain hidden, and most of us will willingly gloss over the worst of our sins whenever possible. You have to learn from your mistakes and move forward, and forgiving one's self for the errors you have made is the only way ahead.
But what concerns me is the naivete of so many people, who seem willing to take everything they find online as gospel truth, aided and abetted by the 24/7 news cycle and the dismaying rise of so called reality television programming and the narcissistic social media circus. It is unnerving to me how easily people can be led astray with a few sound bites and a little bit of disinformation.
Kim Kardashian is not an ambassador for anyone except her own media empire (I cringe even having to say that,) yet she is touring Armenia as if she is a member of the upper echelon of the US Government. She is meeting with their leadership, talking about historical events, and pretending to be someone of influence and gravity. The fact that her claim to fame is largely due to her family's ability to catapult themselves in front of a camera is completely ignored by masses of media surrounding her every move. But I cannot help asking the question - her experience of foreign policy and diplomatic relations is based on what, exactly? And if she doesn't have any actual relevance in the political arena, what, exactly, is the media doing in following her every move as though it matters?
How on earth did this happen to us? How can we take the media seriously when they treat a "reality"star as a serious contender for statesmanship? What on earth is going to be next - Kim For President? It actually frightens me that we have gone so far down this rabbit hole that no news source is even questioning her relevance in that context. Shouldn't somebody point out that she is not really a model of sound judgement, and perhaps we should be paying attention to people of greater impact and substance?
Then I am reminded, she is a person of impact. Unfortunately, she has the media's constant attention, and she does influence opinion. Insubstantial though she may be, she is one of the most famous people on the planet. I don't know. That really bothers me, because it is a perfect metaphor for everything that is wrong with our news media today.
Kim originally achieved fame because of an indecent exposure of what, for most people, would be the most embarrassing kind. A normal person would take that experience and crawl away to hide with their skeletons in their own closet, hoping that the whole thing would fade from public view sooner rather than later. But if you are willing to "reinvent" yourself, which is simply another way of saying you are lying about your past, you become famous and influence the world.
Which brings me back to my original point. What is said in the media is simply click bait. They receive advertising dollars for every click they receive, and facts do not garner clicks, unless it is sensationalized and over-dramatized. There is no money in truthful, in depth analysis. There are few clicks when the subject matter is a fair, unbiased discussion of the facts. You cannot trust the media, because they are not interested in the best interests of the country. They are interested in what gets clicks. It really is that simple.
I think we all need to be reminded that what is seen online is often distorted. People can say anything they want, and everything from Facebook pages to political advertising to dating websites make it obvious that you cannot trust what people tell you about themselves. There is no one guarding the public from the falsehoods promulgated online. The genie is out of the bottle and there is no way to control the lies any more.
I hope that someday the person I know will have an opportunity to make a change and set things right. It would allow that person to grow in a direction that would be positive and possibly life changing in the best possible way. But in the meantime, think about that person when you read something online, and beware. You cannot believe everything you see. Your eyes are the windows to the soul, but when you are looking through a computer screen, you might be looking at Wonderland instead reality.
