Guarding against “Fake News” and “False Knowledge”

I was a full time, single father for many years. My son is currently serving our great nation in the Air Force. I could not be prouder of him. When he was growing up, one of the things I encouraged him to do was take preparedness seriously. Fortunately, he did.

I remember coming home from work one day (years ago) and my then teenage son was watching Netflix. He had found some old episodes of Man vs Wild, and was watching them.

I was happy that he was taking an interest in being outdoors, and about survival and being prepared. So I sat down beside him and watched an episode with him. I’m glad I did as it opened up a learning opportunity for him.

This particular episode, our “hero” was in some abandoned factory somewhere in Poland I believe. I said nothing as I watched Bear climb up and rope across multi-story buildings, and then climb into ventilation shafts. Maybe this was an attempt to remain unseen? I would have used a door or window, but that’s just me.

But when he used explosives to blow open a door, (how he accomplished this was NOT shown on camera), all sense of what he was attempting to teach went out the window.

Why show people how to survive by using skills they most likely do not possess and you are not allowed to show? Not to mention the fact that it would be much less risky (and less noisy) to use a window or door as opposed to potentially setting the entire building on fire!

I then watched Bear climb down an elevator shaft to the bottom floor of a building, and I began to laugh. While I have never been to Poland, I’m willing to bet that they have stairs there. When it comes to survival, NEVER take unnecessary risks.

But the coup de grace was watching him climb up 5 or 6 stories high using pipes in the abandoned factory and then “tightrope walk” over a narrow beam to eat two small bird eggs located in a nest near the ceiling. I told my son that this was idiotic. Not only would a normal person be risking death, but that he most likely burned more calories getting to and from the eggs than what the eggs provided…..ie a calorie deficit.

I understand this is a “made for TV drama”, and scaling buildings and climbing down elevator shafts is more entertaining than gathering fire wood or feeding chickens. But it made me wonder how many people would watch this and think this is the way to survive?

But it isn’t just TV “survival” shows that spread misinformation. I have watched numerous Youtube videos and read many articles on survival and/or prepping and thought “Are people really passing this off as good info?”

Now if you are reading this and thinking to yourself, “He must be talking about so and so”, stop. My point in this is NOT to call anyone out or to point fingers. Yes, I ripped Man vs Wild. But let’s face it, anyone who stars in a survival TV series trying to teach people how to survive but then spends his nights in a hotel needs to be called out.

For the record, Bear Grylls did have a show called “Worst-Case Scenario.” This show, only one season long, did have some good information and tips should you find yourself in certain dangerous situations. Yes, at times the episodes were overly dramatic, but the tips were still solid.

My point in this to be wary about what you read or watch, especially when it comes to your safety and security. Bernard Shaw once said:

false knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance.

I could not agree more.

So how do you know what is fake and what is good information?

If what you are reading or watching feels “off”, chances are it is. If there seems to be conflicting data on something….dig deeper. Much deeper. Don’t watch one video or read one article on something. Study multiple articles. Learn who is considered the experts in that field. Get a general consensus of what they say.

Read case studies. Read government reports if there are any. These aren’t exciting, but they can and do present a good source of knowledge.

And even if you know a subject well, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep up with it. Things change. New studies come out dispelling old beliefs. So stay current on topics you feel you are already familiar with. We can always learn new things or better ways to do something.

Next, in trying to separate fact from opinion, I tend to avoid videos or articles that are overly dramatic, self-promoting, seem to have an ulterior motive, or play on peoples’ fear and negative emotions. If you do watch/read them, at least take them with a grain of salt.

I also realize that if people are promoting certain survival items, they may be paid or compensated to do so. This isn’t always a bad thing…just be aware that there could be some inherent bias.

Third, and the most important in my opinion, is to learn it for yourself. Experience is the greatest teacher after all.

You might watch three or four YouTube videos on starting a bow drill fire. You might study them in detail, memorizing each step until you know how to make a bow drill fire. Right?

Uh…..no.

You don’t know how to make a bow drill fire until you actually do it yourself. And once you do it by yourself, you will realize that it SUCKS ASS! You will realize that after 35 minutes, you will give up and say “to hell with this! I don’t need a campfire tonight!!”

You will know that even though it only took you 10-15 minutes on your second and then third try, you still are not an expert because you failed miserably on your 4th try. You will learn that sometimes, it won’t work. For whatever reason, despite the fact that you have made a bow drill fire at least half a dozen times before, today it simply won’t work.

I am not an expert at making bow drill fires. But I have made them enough to know that if I had to make one right now, there is a chance I might not be able to light the tender. I might make my shoulder sore and ruin a perfectly good shoe lace with nothing to show for it.

I also know from experience that when I made a solar still, I didn’t get much water from it. And what water I did get tasted horrible!

I know from experience that you can bake a cake and bread in a homemade solar oven. It worked, and tasted ok too. But I also learned that if you forget and leave your cardboard and aluminum foil oven outside during a rain storm, it becomes a huge mess of a blob. And as a result, I know that you can mix flour and water into patties, and cook them right on the coals of the campfire. Dust off the ash, and with a little brown sugar they aren’t that bad if you are hungry.

I have this knowledge from first-hand experience, and that is something I CANNOT get from a YouTube video or an article.

Ultimately, YOU are responsible for your safety and security. Let common sense be your guide, and understand that there is more to learning than just reading about it or watching a video. While that is a great start, the best way to learn and gain REAL knowledge is hands on experience!

What do you do to recognize and avoid fake news and false knowledge? Tell us in the comment section below.

Stay safe out there!

Follow us on Follow us on Minds at @planandprepared, on Parler, on Twitter, on Gettr, and on Gab

Be sure to check out our Prepper News Feed. All the newest prepper articles and videos from across the internet in one place!

If you enjoyed this article, please click the link to vote for my site at Top Prepper Websites! Thanks

Join our newsletter to receive updates about this site. NO SPAM!!