Dishonest Clicks

“A conversation is dishonest when either party, through laziness or indifference, blinds itself to the truth.”-Malcom Gladwell

I read this quote in the first chapter of Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, “The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic.” His book is about gun control, violence, and crime in the United States, but his point applies to many other conversations today. What we believe matters, but the path we take to get there matters just as much.

We’d all be much better off if any conversation around a contentious issue had the weight of honesty. I’ll highlight one example. Recently, supporters of the Alberta government stepping in to dictate city infill policy used a photo as an example of infill. No one could argue that it painted a picture of policy gone wrong. It shows two large infill developments sandwiched around a small single-family home. I’d be furious if it were my home. The problem is that the city council adjusted the rules to prevent this from happening again. The photo no longer reflects the city's 2026 multi-family home-building policy.

So why use an old photo showing the results of outdated policy?

sorry, I do not know the source of the original photograph. But it’s been floating around Edmonton.

In the same chapter, Gladwell goes on to say that a dishonest conversation begins with a false premise. Those using the photo either know this and hope no one questions its present-day validity, or they didn’t take the time to research it. Neither option helps if we want an honest conversation about this issue. This is a small example, but it raises the question we all have to ask ourselves: why can’t the truth stand on its own?

If we’re honest, most of us prefer a spicy, marketed perspective over unadorned, plainly served, unsalted truth. Clickbait works well because it provides instant gratification, confirmation bias with zero critical thinking required. Dishonest conversations thrive on clickbait. Cartoonish political satire is a tradition, but the beauty of political satire is its ability to disclose its nature upfront. You know you’re getting satire and a bias. Not investigative journalism.

There is nothing wrong with being passionate about any subject, but let’s honour the subject and each other by getting the facts right when we come to the table. I’m not suggesting you need to change your position, but we must have the courage to seek the truth even if it doesn’t fit our preferred narrative. Because…you might change your position. Changing your position after gaining more knowledge isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom. I know this from personal experience. If we don’t have the facts nailed down, we should at least admit it and commit to digging deeper. I’ve had to do that more than once, and that’s ok. Honest, foundational conversations will get us better results. They are hard work, but worth doing.

Clicks will buy you something cheap; an honest conversation will grant you life-giving wisdom. Go for wisdom.

Notes: I highly recommend reading Malcolm Gladwell’s “The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic”. Be a cool kid and buy it from your local independent bookstore.