Facts

• Goals:
  • Describe facts.
  • Excel at using facts productively
    • Determine if something is a fact or not.
    • Find the facts associated with a topic.

Fact (What)

A fact is a statement that is objective, true, verifiable, and independent of personal beliefs or opinions.

Examples of Facts

1. Helena is the capital of Montana.

2. Global warming is caused by human activity. (Note: there are many people who say that is untrue).

3. A water molecule is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

Break Down of Concepts

Here are the main concepts used in the definition of fact.

Statement

A statement is a declarative sentence, one of the four main types of sentences: declarative, interrogative (question), imperative (command), and exclamatory. A declarative sentence has a truth value, meaning it is either true or false. Thus, a statement is an assertion that is either true or false.

Objective:

A statement is objective if and only if (iff) its truth or falsity is determined by direct means: observation, experiment, math calculation, measurement, and so on.

True

A statement is true if it corresponds with reality.

Verifiable

A statement is verifiable iff it can be proven true or false by multiple actors (people or groups) with each actor operating independent of the others.

Subjective

A statement is subjective iff it is true for one or more actors, but not for all actors. For example, “skiing is one of the best sports ever” is true for me, but not for everyone. The truth value of a subjective statement depends on an actor’s values, preferences, beliefs, and such.

Rationale

Excelling at recognizing facts is essential because:

4. Better Decision-Making – Decisions based on facts lead to better outcomes than those based on emotions, misinformation, or assumptions.

5. Protection from Manipulation – Many persuasive techniques (advertising, politics, social media) rely on distorting facts.

6. Clear Thinking – Distinguishing facts from opinions or biases improves critical thinking and prevents cognitive distortions.

7. Effective Communication – People respect those who can accurately separate facts from misinformation.

8. Strong Problem-Solving Skills – Recognizing facts is essential for science, engineering, business, and everyday problem-solving.

9. Reduces Tilt – Staying grounded in facts prevents emotional decision-making under stress.

Excelling at Facts (How To)

Principles

• To be a fact, a statement needs to be testable, observable, or supported by strong evidence.

• A fact should align with other well-established facts unless better evidence emerges.

• A fact should stand on its own, not on authority or popularity.

• A fact is true for everyone; it is not a matter of opinion.

• There is a certain probability that a given fact is wrong. That is, no fact can have 100% certainty.

Framework

10. Framework for Fact Recognition**

Step 1: Ask, “Is This Verifiable?”

• Can this statement be proven true through evidence, logic, or observation?

• Example: “Smoking causes lung cancer.” → Verified by scientific studies.

Step 2: Evaluate the Source

• Is the source credible?

• Does it rely on scientific, historical, or logical evidence?

• Does the source have a conflict of interest?

Step 3: Identify Misinformation Traps

• Emotional Appeal – Does the claim try to manipulate feelings rather than present facts?

• Cherry-Picking – Is evidence selected selectively to support a viewpoint?

• Anecdotal Evidence – Is it based on personal stories rather than objective data?

• Consensus vs. Fact – Just because many people believe it doesn’t mean it’s true.

Step 4: Test with the “Could I Be Wrong?” Approach

• Seek counter-evidence before concluding something is a fact.

• Ask, “What would prove this wrong?” (Falsifiability test)

• Example: “Climate change is a hoax.” → Scientific consensus and data contradict this claim.

Step 5: Differentiate Fact from Opinion & Interpretation

• Fact: “The unemployment rate is 5%.”

• Opinion: “The economy is doing terribly.”

• Interpretation: “The economy is recovering based on a 5% unemployment rate.”

3. Tips for Mastering Fact Recognition

General Tips

✅ Use the “3E Test” → Evidence, Explanation, Expert Consensus.

✅ Ask for primary sources → Don’t just trust summaries or opinions.

✅ Check multiple sources → Reliable facts hold across different sources.

✅ Separate facts from interpretations → Avoid misleading framing.

✅ Look for falsifiability → If something cannot be disproven, it’s not a fact but a belief.

Practical Techniques

🔎 Practice Fact-Checking Daily

• Read news with a critical eye.

• Ask, “What’s the source? How do they know?”

🧠 Train Your Brain for Logical Consistency

• Study logical fallacies to avoid being misled.

• Learn scientific skepticism.

🚀 Use Tools to Verify Facts

• Fact-Checking Websites: Snopes, FactCheck.org, PolitiFact.

• Scientific Databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, arXiv.

Final Thought

Recognizing facts is not just about knowledge—it’s about thinking clearly, making smart decisions, and avoiding deception. The more you practice, the more you build a “fact-detecting mind” that helps you in business, personal life, and learning. 🚀

Would you like to refine this into a structured system for a specific application? 😊