In everyday life, most of us rely on third-hand information more than we realize. So, what is third-hand information? It’s information that doesn't come from someone directly involved or qualified—it’s passed down from one person to another, who likely got it from someone else. It’s like a paraphrase of a paraphrase of a paraphrase being passed around as fact. Unfortunately, that’s what we’re dealing with far too often in today’s world.
Articles on social media, catchy headlines, and commentary posts many of them are not based on primary sources or firsthand experience. But they’re still consumed, repeated and treated as truth. That’s where the problem starts. When our opinions, conversations, and even relationships are shaped by third-hand content, we’re building on shaky ground. And the more confident we are in that incomplete knowledge, the less open we are to learning something new.
This is where confirmation bias comes in. It’s the tendency we all have to seek out information that supports what we already believe and to ignore or reject anything that challenges our views. It’s not just something other people do; we all do it to some extent. The key is recognizing it and being willing to question ourselves.
We should never become so confident in what we think we know that we stop being teachable. There’s nothing wrong with saying, “I’m not sure,” or “Let me go back and check the source.” There’s strength in admitting that we don’t have all the answers.
If we want stronger communities and better conversations, we need to take ownership of the information we accept and share. That means going back to the source, asking better questions, and being willing to say, “I might have been wrong.”
When we let go of pride and choose humility over certainty, we open the door to wisdom. And wisdom is far more valuable than just being “right.”
Let’s Be Better Humans
Lately, I’ve noticed how quickly conversations turn into arguments over politics, race, religion, personal beliefs, and who’s “on the right side.” It’s exhausting. Somewhere along the way, we started confusing disagreement with disrespect. That’s something we need to fix.
Just because you disagree with someone doesn’t mean they’re your enemy. A different opinion doesn’t make someone less intelligent or less human. But when we meet differences with sarcasm, bitterness or judgment, we chip away at each other’s dignity.
For the record, I’m not part of any political party. People sometimes assume otherwise to fit their own narrative, but that doesn’t define me. I don’t need a group label to care about people. I choose to evaluate individuals based on their values, their integrity, and how they treat others.
As a follower of Christ and community leader, I strive to treat people with kindness and respect regardless of what they believe, who they vote for, or where they come from. That doesn’t mean I agree with everyone. It means I honor their humanity.
And let me tell you something I’ve learned over the years: people aren’t always who they appear to be. Titles, affiliations, backgrounds, none of those things guarantee character. That’s why I try to respond to people based on their actions, not their categories.
We can’t build a strong community on a foundation of pride and division. If we want to move forward, we’ve got to start listening again. Forgive when you can. Encourage when needed. Show respect even when it’s hard.
And remember this: it takes more energy to be negative than it does to be positive. Bitterness drains us. But grace, humility and understanding? They lift us and those around us.
This brings me to something I witnessed recently that ties it all together.
As many of you know, the McDonald’s in Waynesville was recently demolished. Why? Because there’s a plan to rebuild it with a new layout, one that will serve the community more efficiently.
But here’s what stood out to me: it didn’t take much time or many tools to tear it down. In fact, the building came down pretty quickly. But rebuilding? That’s a different story. Rebuilding takes time. It takes coordination, skill and teamwork. The number of tools involved, the number of people required, and the planning process, it’s all a reminder that it takes skill to build, but far less to destroy.
The same goes for our community. It’s easy to tear one another down with assumptions, gossip, or division. But building something worth being proud of takes effort, unity and patience. Let’s ask ourselves this question, “Are we willing to be a builder?”
We are all still learning. We all have blind spots. But we’re better when we grow together with humility, not hostility.
That’s how we become better neighbors, better leaders, and simply put, better humans.
This week, I wanted to share these two thoughts to remind us all the power of clear communication and collaboration. These are the foundations of a community we can all be proud of. Again, I’m proud to serve this community and look forward to the many great accomplishments we will achieve together over the next few years. Thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing you around the town.
