Adversity often occurs when people react without having all the facts. Sometimes, they will think they have the facts but learned the wrong information. These situations can be avoided altogether by just getting the facts and making sure they are correct.
When you have the facts on your side, you can present your argument. Further, you will be less likely to make a judgment about a situation because the facts back it up. That will prevent you from getting yourself and others into adverse situations.
The internet has given us a vast pool of information. However, people are too willing to trust any information they find. They get a false sense of security by believing that the first set of results on a search engine are the most qualified results. That simply is not the case. Search engine results change rapidly, and you could produce different results from one search to the next on the same search engine.
When searching for your facts, try to find multiple sources that you believe carry authority. For instance, when you look for medical advice, don’t stop at a site such as WebMD.com and call it quits. While this website may have qualified advice, they aren’t the only source. See if you can find research to back your findings on the website in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
When you find other websites, look for sources that the articles cite. Are they valid sources? Check to make sure they are from authoritative people. If you come across a blog that isn’t citing any sources but is making claims that appear to be facts, you should treat this with suspicion.
Anyone can create a blog, and have it published in minutes. They are free to publish whatever they like. That is why readers must be critical of every source they treat as fact. If a blogger publishes a piece that is purely an opinion piece, there is nothing wrong with this. But, don’t accept the post as fact. It can be a good starting point for your research.
You will hear people cite Wikipedia.org as a source for their facts. While the resource has gotten better at fact checking, don’t lose sight that anyone can add and make changes to it. Still, it does have some uses. At the end of most articles, there is a wealth of resources and links that authors often include. Use these for further research.