Seeing Clearly in a Time of Disinformation and Lies

When I was a child, I heard the story of The Emperor's New Clothes and thought it was funny. A foolish emperor struts around in "invisible clothes" while everyone pretends he looks marvelous. Only one child speaks the truth: the emperor is wearing nothing.

But now that I'm older, I see this tale isn't really for children. It's a story for all of us, especially today. It's about fear, about lies, and about what happens when people ignore the truth, even when it's staring them in the face.

In the story, the emperor is tricked by two swindlers who claim they can make clothes that only wise, intelligent people can see. Of course, there are no clothes at all. But no one dares admit it. The emperor doesn't want to look foolish. The ministers, the guards, the citizens, and they all nod and smile and praise something that doesn't exist.

This story holds a mirror up to our world today. Right now in 2025, many people are doing something very similar. Instead of clothes, it's lies and misinformation they're pretending to see as truth. Some people say vaccines are harmful. Other people deny climate change even as storms grow stronger and temperatures rise. Some even say COVID never existed, or that science can't be trusted. Some reject measles vaccines and the result is that the disease is spreading. Just a few years ago, measles was wiped out. Some insist that all vaccines are harmful and poisonous.

Why do they say these things? Why do they go along with obvious falsehoods?

Part of the answer is what psychologists call informational influence. It means that people believe what they're told simply because they accept the source of the information, even if that information is wrong. They don't stop to ask who's saying it or why. They just take it as true.

Then, there's normative influence. Normative influence happens when people don't want to stand out or be rejected. They go along with the group, even if the group is wrong. They keep quiet because they want to feel accepted. They want to be liked. So they nod and smile and pretend the emperor's clothes are beautiful.

The problem is that living this way leads to danger. When people stop asking questions, when they stop thinking for themselves, they lose something precious. They lose the truth. When a nation begins to reject facts and science, that nation is in trouble.

We used to be proud of our scientific achievements. We led the world in medicine and technology, exploring space and curing disease. But now, there are voices telling us not to believe the doctors, the scientists, or even our own eyes. And just like in the story, too many people are afraid to say what they really see.

What we need now are people willing to speak up like the child in the fairytale. People who aren't afraid to say, "The emperor has no clothes." People who still believe in facts, in honesty, in ethics, and in caring for one another, and not just in going along with the crowd.

I was raised to value science and truth. I was taught to think for myself, to be curious, and to stand up for what is right. That hasn't changed. And I hope it hasn't changed for you either.

The story of the emperor isn't just a tale. It's a warning about being careful about sources of information and not just accept what we hear as true.

Please be cautious. The internet, social media, YouTube and more, are the sources of disinformation, distortion and lies. The fundamental problem is that anyone can publish anything on social media. That is why it is not a good source for learning the facts.