Did you hear the one about the man who taught his dog to play the trumpet on the London Underground?…

😂 He went from Barking to Tooting in 30 minutes.

Now that I have your attention, because that what it was all about really. I want to talk about information.

What has been brought into sharp focus over the last two years is just how we are so easily manipulated.

From a phishing email, a news item, an image, or video clip. How something on social media is structured, its colour, our mood, the time of day, our individual biases, or whether we agree or disagree with it causes a chemical reaction on our brain.

Let’s face it we are all guilty of reacting to posts and then thinking later, maybe I could have been a bit more balanced in my approach.

Research and investigations have been my life for over forty years now and I love looking at information. From a Due Diligence report to developing a training course, balance is vital.

Here’s some stuff to think about

✅ A like on a post doesn’t signify that someone agrees

✅ The person with the loudest voice is not always right

✅ Don’t just Google

✅ Listen to multiple news sources

✅ Seek out alternative opinions, challenge your thinking

✅ Think, “Who is behind that camera?” when viewing video

✅ Always be aware of your own biases

✅ An investigation is a search for the truth, not your truth

✅ Flawed data means flawed decisions and flawed outcomes

Regardless of your leaning or opinion 2019-2021 was the best example of social engineering I have seen in my life. I hope we can learn from it and make 2022 the year of critical thinking.

Oh, did I mention I have a book coming out in February? (see what I did there?).