Searching for Truth

17 Questions to Separate Fact from Fiction

By I. C. Robledo
 Table of Contents

Introduction
#1) Is This Always True?
#2) Do you Deeply Want This to Be True?
#3) Is This Just an Assumption?
#4) Is This Something You’ve Heard Over and Over Again?
#5) Could Your Senses Be Deceiving You?
#6) Is the Source Biased?
#7) Have You Been Given Just Part of the Truth?
#8) Is This A Series of Weak Statements that Make a Strong Implication?
#9) Does the Story Have “Common Sense”? (Judge Judy Approach)
#10) Can You Test This Out for Yourself? (Safely)
#11) Is this Mathematically Possible? (Or Practically Possible?)
#12) How Much Should You Follow the People You Trust?
#13) Are Your Beliefs About Others Accurate?
#14) Are They Speaking Without Substance?
#15) Is This a False Situation?
#16) Is it Just Your Imagination? (Or Someone Else’s?)
#17) Is This Person Incongruent?
Final Thoughts
Resources
 Introduction

When I was a child, I didn’t understand the concept of a lie. Sometimes

other kids would tell me to lie about something to adults, and I simply could
not do it. Even if I tried, somehow the truth would come out of my mouth.

Someone recently asked me what my Superpower was. I didn’t have an

answer at first, but in time I realized that my Superpower was Truth.

I cannot see falseness, speak falseness, or be led by it. I can only see Truth.

Of course no one is perfect, but in my life every day I have walked toward
Truth and away from falseness. This has been a daily practice. Even when
I was a child I was practicing this, but I simply didn’t know it then. This
ability was automatic as a child. As an adult, it has become a conscious
choice.

What is true? What is not true? These are simple questions that can have
complicated answers.

I would like to present you with 17 questions you can ask yourself to help
you figure out what is true in your life and what is not. You can use this to
analyze your thoughts, statements people make, or even beliefs that you
have held your whole life.

Truth is a journey that you must take in your own way. No one can give
you truth. You must work to find it for yourself. The Questions in this book
will help you to build the mindset you need to unlock the Truth in your life.
Before we begin, I want you to consider something that will make your life
easier on the path to searching for truth.

Ask yourself:

Does this matter?

If you are sad and you are going through negative thoughts such as “I am
not important,” or “Why am I such a failure?” then it does matter that you
consider whether these thoughts are true or not. These ideas affect how
you feel about yourself and how you behave, so this means that they
matter.

But how about if I were to tell you that the universe is made up of invisible
bubbles that no one can see except for me. I can describe their shapes,
colors, and movement very specifically. If you ask me if these bubbles
impact or somehow affect real world objects, I would tell you “No.” If you
ask me if these bubbles bother me or affect my life, I would tell you “No, it
is just something interesting that I can see.”

What can we do with this?

Whether these bubbles are truly there or not may not even matter. They
don’t seem to affect anything. They don’t even seem to bother me or cause
any problems or have any impact on the real world.

If the bubbles exist, nothing changes because the bubbles don’t actually
interact with the real world. If they don’t exist, then nothing changes
because most people are not aware of these bubbles anyway.

It takes some time, effort, and analysis to get at the truth, so before you
attempt to figure out if something is true or not, ask yourself: Does this
matter? If not, move on to more important thoughts or problems.
If you have decided that a statement does matter, then how do you
proceed? At that point, you should ask yourself this:

Is it possible to determine if this is True

or False?

The way to test if you can determine something to be true or false is to ask
yourself if it is possible to disprove it.

Following the prior example where the universe is made up of invisible

bubbles, is this something that can be disproven? To disprove it, we would
have to either prove that it is logically false through the language or word
order used, or that it can be tested and found to be false in the real world.

There is nothing in the language that proves the statement to be true or

false. (e.g., Here is a statement we could prove through logic: All squares
have 4 sides. Shape X has 3 sides. We can prove that Shape X is not a
square, because it does not have 4 sides.)

Unfortunately, we cannot test these bubbles. The reason for this is because
they are invisible, and only one person can see them. Therefore, no one
would be capable of creating a test that could possibly disprove these
invisible bubbles. Since it cannot be disproven, that means that it cannot
be proven to be true either.

Strangely enough, in order to show that something could be true, there

should first be a way to possibly disprove it. Otherwise we would have to
assume that all strange theories were true, just because we could not
disprove them.

Before you proceed, I just want to note that the examples in this book are
mostly made up. They are designed this way for your learning purposes. I
will let you know if an example is based on real events.

For 17 Questions to separate fact from fiction, please continue reading.

 #1) Is This Always True?

Often, we have a thought or we hear a statement and it sounds true, so we

assume that it is. Rather than assuming that something is true, we should
take just a moment to consider: Is this always true? Are there exceptional
cases where this is not true?

Example: Everyone likes dogs.

When I hear this statement, I can think of many people I’ve met who liked
dogs. I like dogs too. In fact, I can’t think of a single person I know who
has told me that he does not like dogs.

Of course, this does not prove that everyone likes dogs. Just as some
people like the color blue and others don’t, or some people like apples and
others don’t, it is easy to imagine that some people will like dogs and others
will not.

In this case, the statement claims to be true for everyone. And if it is not
true for everyone, all the time, then it is not true. If I asked everyone in
my city if they like dogs, surely some people would respond that they don’t.

To make it true, the statement would need to be changed to:

Some people like dogs. Or possibly: Everyone likes dogs in my

apartment complex.

Even one exception can make a statement false. For that reason, keep in
mind that we should be cautious with the second bolded statement,
“Everyone likes dogs in my apartment complex.” The statement may be
true one day, but if someone who dislikes dogs moves in, the statement
would no longer be true.
 #2) Do you Deeply Want This to Be True?

An issue with wanting to believe strongly that something is true is that this
colors our perceptions. The more I want to believe something, the more I
will look for evidence to support my beliefs while ignoring evidence that
conflicts with that belief (e.g., confirmation bias).

In order to get at the full truth we actually have to try to disprove our
beliefs. Anyone can easily think up reasons to support what they already
believe. But many people cannot think of any reasons or evidence that
helps to refute what they believe.

We tend to ignore any information that doesn’t support our beliefs, when
instead we should examine it more closely and consider it more deeply.

Example: I am the best math student in my school. (A High Schooler

may say this).

If a High Schooler tells me he is the best at math in his school, I may

immediately realize that this is someone who prides himself in his
mathematical skills.

He wants to believe that he is the best math student in his school.

I may ask him what grade he is in, and he would respond that he is a junior.
Then he would tell me that he has the best grades in his class.

I could use this moment to remind him that there are other math classes
at the junior level in his school. And also, there are seniors who take a
higher level of math than him.

Some of those other students may be better math students than him.

In order for the original statement to be true, it would have to be:

I am the best math student in my classroom.

Remember: just because we want to believe that something is true doesn’t

necessarily make it so.
 #3) Is This Just an Assumption?

Many people get the wrong idea about assumptions. They think we should
never make assumptions. Actually, in order to live and do anything at all,
we make assumptions every day. Assumptions are unavoidable. The key is
to question those assumptions.

Example: Someone who chooses not to eat meat must be doing this
for ethical reasons.

This sounds like an opinion, doesn’t it? And that is something interesting to
note, because most of the time opinions are just assumptions. And
assumptions are untested thoughts.

It does seem reasonable that someone who chooses not to eat meat could
be doing this for ethical reasons.

However, it’s not necessarily true. There certainly are some alternative
reasons someone could choose not to eat meat.

A person could simply be on a diet to try to lose weight. Or they could have
an illness that is better managed if they don’t eat meat. Some people may
simply not like the taste of meat. Others may have gotten into the habit of
avoiding meat if they were raised by vegetarian parents.

In this case, our example statement was just an assumption.

To make it true, the statement could be:

Someone who chooses not to eat meat could be doing this for
ethical reasons, or they could have other reasons.

Another common assumption is in thinking that what has happened in the

past will happen in the future. However, this is not always the case. Just
because your stock went up 50% last year does not mean it will go up
another 50% this year.
 #4) Is This Something You’ve Heard Over and
Over Again?

It is human nature to think that if we have heard a phrase over and over,
then it must be true. The more we hear something the more it begins to
sound true.

Of course, in today’s age, this is quite problematic. Someone with a big

platform can share a piece of information and it may go viral and get shared
again and again. Yet, the information could be wrong. Unfortunately,
millions of people may have heard the same information and believed it to
be true, even when it was not.

We must be careful not to assume something is true just because we have

heard or read it again and again.

Example: Humans only use 10% of their brains.

I’m not sure where this phrase originated, but I have heard it in many
different places. I have even heard some very smart people state this as if
it were a fact.

However, as we have stated, hearing it many times does not make it true.

According to neurologists and neuroscientists, there is no evidence to

support the statement. Apparently someone made the statement long ago,
and people thought it sounded true and so they repeated it. Soon enough,
this wrong piece of information became common knowledge – even though
it was wrong.

The example statement above is not easily corrected, since the idea that
we use only a specific percentage of the brain is misguided.
 #5) Could Your Senses Be Deceiving You?

Example: Once, I was in a restaurant with several friends. One of them

was an abstract artist. This is a true story.

Soon enough, the artist’s drink arrived and some of us at the table were
surprised by what we saw.

“Is that a peach in your drink?” a friend asked.

I looked at his drink and saw the peach too. It looked like a whole peach
was inside of his drink.

The artist looked at us as if we were crazy – “It’s just lemonade,” he said,

and he even pulled it out of his glass to show us.

Sure enough, it was a lemon. Something about the lighting, the color of his
glass, and our positioning had made it look like a peach, but our senses
deceived us.

Our senses can deceive us more easily than we may think. When we
become convinced that we saw or heard or felt something, it’s difficult to
un-see it, or un-feel it. However, we must understand that there could be
other interpretations.

We must learn to question what our own senses tell us, as we do not always
interpret them correctly.
 #6) Is the Source Biased?

It is difficult to avoid bias. People are not completely neutral and rational,
so we are all biased about some things. If you love someone
unconditionally, then you are biased in their favor. If you have to choose
between helping someone you love or a complete stranger, you will
probably help the person you love.

Just as most people have their biases, so do most sources of information.

Of course, this is because people are the ones who record, analyze,
interpret, and distribute information.

Some sources of information are much more biased than others. Some of
them will try to be neutral and rational, but others may make no attempts
to do so.

One source may make it clear that it favors certain people, parties, or
organizations. Others may not make it so clear, and hide their motives.

If a source is often antagonistic toward certain people or groups, then it

could be biased.

Similarly, if a source often favors certain people or groups then it could also
be biased.

In reality, usually a group is neither all good nor all bad. You have to
question when your source repeatedly focuses on how some people or ideas
are all good or all bad. This is a key signal that it is biased.

Be aware that perspective itself can be biased. Some people or information

sources may have a bias toward seeing everything as positive. And others
may have a bias toward seeing everything as negative.

Learn to perceive the bias, that way you can learn from sources that more
accurately reflect reality.
 #7) Have You Been Given Just Part of the Truth?

The most convincing lies are actually the ones where you tell the truth, part
of it anyway.

Example: A police officer spots a suspicious looking man parked outside of

a bank. The suspicious man looks around uneasily and gets nervous when
he sees the police officer.

The officer asks him: “What brings you to the bank?”

Confidently and casually, the suspicious man responds: “I’m just waiting
for my colleague. We want to withdraw some funds from the bank – for
charity.”

The police officer decides there is nothing suspicious going on after all, and
leaves.

Then the suspicious man waits a few minutes for his “colleague” to arrive,
and they proceed to rob the bank.

Strangely enough, the suspicious man’s claims were all true.

He was waiting for his colleague, but he didn’t mention that this was his
getaway driver.

He did want to withdraw funds from the bank, but he didn’t mention he
would do this with a gun in his hand.

And he did want to give the funds to charity, but he didn’t mention that this
was for his poor and needy family.

When someone tells you statements that appear to be true, search deeper.
Perhaps a series of “true” statements can mislead you terribly, if you don’t
search for the whole truth.
 #8) Is This A Series of Weak Statements that
Make a Strong Implication?

Example: “Every day there are carrots missing from my garden and I’m
tired of it. My neighbor told me he wanted to bake a carrot cake this
weekend. And he’s always looking for a way to save a buck. You tell me
what’s going on here.”

The implication here is that the neighbor is stealing carrots to make a carrot
cake. While possible, what we actually have here is a convenient story
designed to make us think something.

We could probably just as easily make up a story about a rabbit whose been
spending a lot of time eyeing the carrots that went missing. Or we could
make up a story about some teenagers in the neighborhood who enjoy
taking small items here and there for the thrill of it.

Without further evidence, all we really have is a story that was designed to
make you think of something. But there is nothing concrete here to explain
the missing carrots.

To examine this a bit more closely, let’s split up the two thoughts that
blame the neighbor.

“My neighbor told me he wanted to bake a carrot cake this weekend.” –

Okay, so does wanting to use a carrot, a fairly common ingredient to cook
something make one guilty of a crime? Obviously not.

“And he’s always looking for a way to save a buck.” – I know plenty of
people who would like to save money when they can. Again, does this turn
them into thieves? Obviously not.

When you are unsure what to think, examine someone’s phrases piece by
piece. Often, the independent statements are very weak. But a string of
weak statements can appear to be stronger than they actually are.

Be aware that these kinds of loosely connected phrases with an open

statement or question may be designed to get you to think in certain ways
on purpose. It is used often in promoting conspiracy theories.
 #9) Does the Story Have “Common Sense”?
(Judge Judy Approach)

Example: “You mean to tell me that you broke this car window open
because there was a baby crying inside? And you had this bag of money
with you the whole time? But I don’t see any baby – where is he? Oh… you
say he walked away to find his mother.…”

Not much in the above story really makes common sense, to the point of
being laughable. Obviously we seem to have a criminal who tried to explain
away all of his criminal behaviors. But when something doesn’t make basic
sense, there is a good chance it is not true.

I used to enjoy watching Judge Judy, as she was always on the hunt for
the truth. She had a television show where often someone would tell her a
questionable story, and she had to determine what was a lie and what
actually happened.

Let’s examine our example more closely.

“You mean to tell me that you broke this car window open because there
was a baby crying inside?” – This could make common sense if it was hot
outside or if the child seemed to be in immediate danger. Otherwise, most
people would probably look for the mother or call the police.

“And you had this bag of money with you the whole time?” – People
generally do not carry a bag of money, so this is quite strange. It’s
especially coincidental if someone were saving a baby, and there happened
to be a bag of cash right there.

“Oh… you say he (the baby) walked away to find his mother…” – Well, most
babies do not walk, and if the mother was not already there, the baby would
not know where to go to find her. If the (suspected) criminal was trying to
save the baby, why would he let him endanger himself?

While some people surely behave in irrational ways or in ways that defy
common sense, if you spot multiple behaviors that defy it, then the person
could be lying. Also, if you spot a lack of common-sense behaviors in
someone who normally is very reasonable, and this seems to help protect
them or give them some big advantages, then you should be skeptical.
#10) Can You Test This Out for Yourself? (Safely)

Example: You walk into a store that sells eyeglasses and the clerk tells
you that all the glasses he sells are unbreakable. Many of the frames don’t
seem especially strong or thick, so you are surprised. He tells you that his
prices are higher than normal, but these frames will last a lifetime.

In this case, you can take him at his word or you can ask if he minds if you
do a simple test. Will he allow you to take a pair of glasses and drop them,
or to actively try to break them? Of course the catch is that if you do break
them, he should not make you pay for them since he is the one that stated
they could not be broken.

He may tell you that he will not allow such a test. He could have his reasons
– perhaps while they are unbreakable, they can get scratched from harsh
treatment, or they can lose that nice shiny look they have.

You could tell him that it would be a great promotion if he would let you try
to break one pair of glasses. You could put a video on YouTube where you
attempt to break them. If you cannot break them even after multiple
attempts, this should impress many people.

If he does not allow you to test them even with this proposal, you might
assume that he is lying. Actually though, without a test we have no proof
either way. If you can do a real-world test safely, often this is the best way
to determine the truth. At least you can eliminate options that are clearly
false. You can get closer to the truth.

As an example of how you could test a pair of his “unbreakable” glasses,

you could try dropping a pair of glasses to see if they break. If not, you
could try throwing them against a wall. If they still do not break, you could
try stepping on them. Then you could try jumping on them. For most
people, they would probably be satisfied if the glasses did not break yet.

However, this still does not prove that they are unbreakable. Perhaps
running them over with a steamroller would break them. Nonetheless,
sometimes you can prove that something works well enough to satisfy most
people, and that will be good enough.
 #11) Is this Mathematically Possible? (Or
Practically Possible?)

The next time you hear someone bragging and it involves numbers, stop
to consider what the number truly mean.

Example: I just read about a guy who can do 3,000 pushups in 10 minutes.
Isn’t that amazing?

Anyone may be skeptical about this without even thinking of it, but the
point here is to think through the statement more analytically to try to
figure out if it could be true.

To clarify what 3,000 pushups in 10 minutes means, let’s figure out how
many pushups this would be in 1 minute. Since 1 minute is 10% of 10
minutes, we just have to find 10% of 3,000. Calculating this, we find that
someone would have to do 300 pushups per minute on average to be able
to do 3,000 pushups in 10 minutes.

Since there are 60 seconds in a minute, this means someone would have
to do 5 pushups per second on average (300 pushups divided by 60 seconds
equals 5), to do the 3,000 pushups in 10 minutes.

Notice that when we look at a very small unit of time, we can picture this
more easily in our minds.

If we are talking about full pushups where you go down to the ground, and
all the way up, then this is practically impossible. Even if someone were on
performance enhancing drugs, I would still find this unbelievable.

I don’t believe this makes sense according to the math, so I would need to
see it with my own eyes to believe it. If you have ever done a pushup, you
know that even doing one full pushup per second on average is a challenge.

In defense of the person telling this story, perhaps they forgot the details
of the story. Perhaps someone doing 3,000 pushups in an hour is feasible.

For the curious, the world record for pushups in an hour is actually 2,919
(about 49 pushups per minute) by Jarrad Young on June 19th, 2020 (as of
this writing).
 #12) How Much Should You Follow the People
You Trust?

Example: My Dad is the smartest person I know and he says there is more
to the “Flat Earth” theory than most people realize. He says the truth is
being hidden from us, and we’ve been misled into thinking the world is a
sphere.

To begin, the above statement has no factual evidence that points to

anything. We just have someone who trusts his father, probably because
most people trust family members, and also he believes his father is the
smartest person that he knows.

Any time you find yourself following ideas just because you think someone
is better, smarter, wiser, an expert, etc., stop and think things through
more carefully.

People who are better at something, or smarter, or wiser, or more

experienced still make mistakes. Sometimes they have ulterior motives.
For example, they may gain something from spreading misinformation.
Otherwise, perhaps they are not worried about how their statements or
actions can affect others. This is unfortunate, but it does happen.

You must think through ideas on your own rather than assuming that they
are correct just because someone else said they were. Do your due
diligence. This may mean collecting and evaluating evidence from different
unbiased sources. Or it could mean testing things out for yourself. Perhaps
it will involve evaluating the statements that someone makes individually,
to see if they all appear to be truthful.

In this case, I will leave this as an open exercise if you are interested. Find
your own evidence that supports the Earth being spherical or flat.
Understand that assuming the world is spherical just because a science
teacher told you it was is not sufficient. Aspire to learn enough to prove to
yourself whether the Earth is flat or spherical, or another shape.

Keep in mind that while authorities or experts are not always correct,
generally speaking they are much better sources than your average person
on the internet with a “theory.”
 #13) Are Your Beliefs About Others Accurate?

Example: You see a young man walk into a wall while he has his phone
held out in front of him. To you, he seems to be oblivious, self-centered,
and perhaps not such a smart individual.

In reality, if we ask that young man how this happened, he would explain
that his mother suffers from extreme anxiety, so he texts her about five
times per day to check on her. Today, he had forgotten to text her in the
morning and he was worried because he was running late for a work
meeting and he didn’t want to wait until later to text her. With all the
distractions, he accidentally walked into the wall.

According to the Fundamental Attribution Error (which is a type of

double standard), when we as individuals make silly mistakes, we tend to
have reasonable excuses or explanations for our behavior. Yet when
someone else makes these silly mistakes, we tend to judge them quite
harshly for it. We may even question their character or intelligence.

This is an unfair double standard. It makes more sense to judge yourself

and others by the same standard in most cases.

There is something you can do to correct your perceptions to see more

truthfully. When you see someone make a silly mistake or behave in some
erratic way, come up with reasonable excuses for them in your own mind.

If someone purposely drives through a red light, think that they have an
emergency they need to attend to.

If someone is wearing their shirt backwards, think that they have just had
a very difficult day, and didn’t pay attention to how they were putting their
clothes on.

Practice coming up with reasonable explanations for the behavior you see
around you. Do not wait for them to defend their actions to you.

These explanations for others’ behaviors will not always be true, but the
point is that there is no reason to think someone is personally flawed based
on having seen a small piece of their life. The next time you do something
silly in public, try to imagine how someone could easily judge you for this,
even though you probably have your reasons for behaving that way.
 #14) Are They Speaking Without Substance?

Example: “I’m going to work on fighting this problem with my 5-point plan,
which has been approved by the experts who were in charge of verifying
the plan, and this is something I truly believe in. No other plan is even close
to offering solutions like mine does. All of these people standing behind me
(e.g., respectable looking people in suits) believe in this plan, and will help
me to implement it successfully.”

The theme that has reoccurred in many of my examples is that nothing

concrete has been stated here. We have a lot of words, but no clear
statements that can be easily examined. It seems that a good way to avoid
being caught in telling a lie is to avoid making specific statements.

Let’s examine the example more closely.

“I’m going to work on fighting this problem with my 5-point plan.”: What
problem? What 5-point plan? This tells us nothing.

“…which have been approved by the experts who were in charge of verifying
the plan”: Experts in what? Who put them in charge? How am I supposed
to know if they are true experts in the topic at hand?

“…and this is something I truly believe in”: You believe in what exactly?
Having a plan that works and is verified by experts?

“No other plan is even close to offering solutions like mine does”: This
sounds like an opinion, and no evidence is offered to support this.

“All of these people standing behind me (e.g., respectable looking people

in suits) believe in this plan, and will help me to implement it successfully.”
– Again, I don’t know who these people are or why I should believe they
can solve the problem, which has not been specified.

Unfortunately, when people speak without substance, the manner in which

they speak seems to avoid the truth altogether. They avoid making specific
statements that could be found to be untrue.

If you can, avoid being around this type of speech. If you cannot avoid it,
then at least understand that the statements made will be difficult to prove
or disprove. They are basically meaningless.
 #15) Is This a False Situation?

This example is based on actual events that happened to me.

[I. C. Robledo receives a phone call, and he answers.]

Caller: “Hello sir. I need to inform you that your social security number
has been used illegally in Texas. Before you decide how to proceed, I must
inform you that if you choose to ignore this call today, you will be
committing a federal crime. I do apologize for this inconvenience, sir. Now,
I need you to spell your name for me, for the record.”

I. C. Robledo: “I would be happy to do that. First, tell me my name.”

Caller: “Sir, I am a Social Security Officer at the Social Security

Administration government offices. I need your name so we can proceed.”

I. C. Robledo: “If you are calling me and telling me I am breaking the law
if I choose to ignore this call, then I believe you should have my name
already. Who is it you want to speak with?”

The Caller hung up at this point. Keep in mind that the false situation is not
always easy to detect. Some people will make it their life’s goal to suck you
into the false situation. Most likely, they will do it to try to get money from
you, but sometimes there are other motives.

In this case, I have heard of many scams like this, so I don’t make it easy
when people call me. When we receive calls from someone who claims to
work at our bank or with the government, we must be very cautious. These
official entities will often send you a letter. They will not call you and then
ask you what your name is.

When you find yourself in a situation that is odd, try to slow things down.
Don’t offer up information. They may be hoping for you to mention your
name, where you work, or even where you live. Turn things around – rather
than answering their questions, start asking your own. Or just leave.

Remember that things are not always what they seem. Sometimes people
want to tell you a story and get you to believe it so that they can get
information or money from you. Keep in mind that the whole story or
scenario could be false.
 #16) Is it Just Your Imagination? (Or Someone
Else’s?)

Human imaginations are quite powerful.

Imagine this:

You are driving down a state road with James (a friend) in the passenger’s
seat. James keeps looking at the passenger mirror and he looks uneasy.

“What’s wrong?” you ask.

“I think we’re being followed. I just heard something on the news about
people who will follow you to your home, then rob you at gun point. It
happens more than most people realize,” James says.

“I’ve only been on this road a couple miles. It’s a frequently used road to
drive to the next town – which is what the driver in the car behind us is
probably doing. I’m sure there is nothing to worry about,” you say.

The reasonable part of you is sure there is nothing to worry about, but
James still looks concerned. Now that the idea is in your head that you
could be being followed, it’s difficult to get rid of. You keep glancing at the
rearview mirror and the other car is still there. It’s a single lane road and
it’s a fairly remote area. There is nothing to do but keep driving.

Keep in mind that our imaginations can quite easily convince us of anything.
There is probably no good reason for someone to be following you. Of
course it’s always possible that this is happening, but quite often there will
be a car behind us, and it won’t mean we are being followed. It just means
you’re going to the same general area. And in this case, the driver has
stayed on a single road and James somehow jumps to the conclusion that
the car is following you. However, unless there is further evidence to
support this conclusion, this just seems to be the work of imagination.

You will probably find it most useful to implement further testing to help
you figure out if a scenario is just in your imagination or not. In this case,
you could slow down and put your hazard lights on to encourage the other
vehicle to pass you. Or you could look for another route to take.
 #17) Is This Person Incongruent?

The reality is that some people will actively aim to lie to us – it could be to
sell a product, to convince us to give them something, or simply to make
themselves look or feel better.

Here is a very simple concept that will help you tell if someone is untruthful,
misleading, or even if they are experiencing an inner conflict that is hiding
the truth from themselves. Keep in mind that the most effective liars will
be those who are good at convincing themselves that a lie is the truth. In
such cases, they can easily convince others too.

The way to spot falseness in people is to look for incongruencies. This

means that someone may use words that indicate they are excited and
happy, but their tone may sound too tame, or it may sound exaggerated.
The point is that the tone and words will not sync up properly.

Otherwise, someone’s words may state that they are patient,

understanding, and caring. But their body and actions are all over the place.
They are pacing, distracted, and not emotionally present.

Also, sometimes people may be too concise and vague, and this can show
that they are disconnected. For example, they may say “Great,” or “Nice,”
or “Cool,” which is fine. But this person may make these types of
statements too often, without any other indication of being aware,
interested, or connected with the speaker. The person tries to make it seem
like they are connecting, when in reality this is not the case.

As another example, someone may promise to do everything for everyone.

They may promise to accompany you on a shopping trip, to have parties,
and to babysit, or to do other favors for people, but then they are always
too busy or they “forgot” about it.

To provide a final example, if someone says “I’m so happy for you,” in a

flat emotionless way while texting someone else, you can judge that they
are probably not so happy for you after all.

As a simple trick, it helps to pay close attention to people’s tone of voice,

body language, and actions. Often, those are more truthful than someone’s
words.
 Final Thoughts

The 17 questions I presented to you will act as stepping stones to help you
think more critically about what is true or not.

Rather than simply giving you a set of rules to follow, I decided that it would
be most instructive if I could take you through the critical and questioning
mindset that I adopt when I want to figure out whether something is true.

Before you go, I would like you to understand this book does what karate
classes can do for the karate student. The karate student may learn to
perform a variety of attacks and defensive maneuvers in the class, but the
real question is if he can learn when and how to apply them in real life.
That is the true challenge that awaits you.

Can you spot truth and falseness in your life after you put this book down?

To get to that point, it is important that you apply some of what you learned
here in your daily life. To perceive the Truth, we must work at it every day.
No matter what we do, there will always be false ideas in the world. If we
are not questioning, critical, and reflective, then we may find ourselves
having false thoughts or beliefs that lead us into actions that are
counterproductive or harmful in some way.

Thank you for reading and I hope you can use these 17 Questions to attract
more Truth in your life and to see through the falseness.
 Resources

I. C. Robledo’s Thoughts (blog posts)

Find Your Inner Truth

The Path to a True and Fruitful Life

Default Thoughts vs. Reflective Thoughts

Books

The Secret Principles of Genius: The Key to Unlocking Your Hidden

Genius Potential

Wikipedia pages

List of cognitive biases

List of fallacies

Logic