So I've started college.
Pretty much expected but waaaait. You see here, I'm taking Mass Communication so I learned stuff about well, mass communication.
And the first thing taught was on that every message will be distorted somehow or another.
Which brings me to my main point; how much can we trust what we're shown by sayy, the media? The articles in newspapers? The stuffs we read in History books?
I mean it's common knowledge that the "people-up-there" don't want us knowing certain things.
But then again, can we really believe in what we're shown as well?
Now don't misunderstand me. I'm not trying to start an uprising or something considering the issues already going on in our humble nation.
What I'm trying to say is how we sometimes just sit and accept whatever piece of information that is "shot" into our minds.
Information has to go through many mediums before it can reach us. And when going through those mediums, "noise" happens.
Noise not as in someone shouting incoherently in your ears, no no.
Noise as in interruption. To be more exact, semantic noise.
Semantic noise basically means the difference in interpretation by different people.
Take for an example, the 2 fingers put up to show a V sign.
Some will say you're showing a 2, some will say it's a peace sign while those with understanding in our culture will say what we call "lala".
Simple as that right?
Now, back to the main point shall we.
How can we trust we're presented when the piece of information received may have been altered in many ways.
Bear with me but the most influential materials these days are the books of religions.
Don't believe me? Google it then.
How sure can one be sure of what is written in the books.
The Bible, al-Quran and others.
And before you declare me a heretic or worse, a blasphemer, consider these.
Were the very books you hold in your hands literally sent from above? Were they translated by the Almighty One Himself and sent down to you by His angels?
No. They were simply translated from the transcripts discovered throughout the ages by men.
By IMPERFECT men might I add.
As mentioned above, noise happens no matter what.
What the transcripts might have actually meant might differ in what the translators perceive.
So in a way, the message has been distorted one way or another.
Or God forbid, the translators themselves could've been distorted.
Not to doubt those humble people BUT.
They could've realized the amount of influence they had in their hands and well, some people just weren't meant to handle that much power.
Think George Bush.
So there you go, the thoughts going through my simpleton head during class.
Wonder if I can do this for my upcoming exam.
So much for taking it easy for college.
