People assume others are telling the truth by default, and that default is a deliberate starting point

the gist

Most people assume the person they're talking to is telling the truth, and truth-default theory argues this is a deliberate starting point rather than naivety. Listeners accept a message as honest unless something gives them a reason to doubt it, because treating everyone as a suspect would make ordinary conversation exhausting. Speakers mostly tell the truth too, since honesty is usually the easiest way to reach their goals. Deception appears when the truth becomes a problem for what someone wants, and that is when the default is most likely to fail. The theory was built to explain why people's accuracy in lie-detection studies depends so heavily on how many of the statements they hear are true.

how it works

Communication runs on an assumption of cooperation: if people constantly checked every statement, they would be unable to get anything done. Listeners therefore accept what they hear and only shift to suspicion when there are cues such as inconsistency, strong emotion or a clear motive to lie. Studies that mix truths and lies show that these default judgements, not careful checking, drive most of the results.

so what

The truth-default idea explains why people are often poor at spotting lies even when they try hard. It shifts attention from asking whether people are gullible to asking when the usual assumption of honesty breaks down. That matters for courts, workplaces and anyone judging whether a claim is credible.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Illustrative photo · By design: John Manoogian III categories and descriptions:…, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗