Facts Don't Matter
But that doesn't mean they're not important
Wait wait wait…. Before you delete me and call me a conspiracy theorist, hear me out.
It’s not that facts aren’t important.
They are.
But they don’t matter as much as you’d think when it comes to making choices.
Let me share a quick family story.
My dear grandmother was born in the early 1920s. She grew up in a cigarette-filled world, and got hooked at a young age along with everyone else.
By the time she was in her 70s, she’d been a lifelong smoker even as the messaging about the dangers of smoking reached a fever pitch.
One day, she finally says “I’m reading and reading about how bad smoking is. It makes me want to quit!”
“Oh, good! You’re going to quit smoking,” someone responded.
“No!” She said. “Quit reading!”
See, her decision wasn’t about having all the accurate, right, or up-to-date information.
Like every other decision we all make, it was an emotional decision.
If facts were all we needed to make healthy choices, no one would smoke cigarettes, drink soda pop, eat fast food, or drink too much alcohol…
…and everyone would be super fit and healthy.
Right?
We’ve got the facts.
We all “know” how to lose weight.
We “know” that we need to exercise, eat protein, and get proper sleep to age gracefully and healthfully.
We “know” that growing a garden means getting delicious veggies, local food, and reducing plastic consumption and waste.
We “know” that toxic chemicals are allowed in our processed food and that processed food doesn’t lead to health.
But none of that “knowing” makes you healthier.
You actually have to take action to find cleaner foods, cook at home, plant a garden, get outside in the daytime, go to bed and get a good night’s sleep and so on.
That’s why I say that facts don’t matter.
Because you know the facts and you still make unhealthy choices anyway.
If we operated on facts, we’d have more sauerkraut companies than candy companies; herb gardens would be everywhere instead of lawns; and fast food wouldn’t even exist because no one would buy it.
But Americans practically live on fast food, and people think of candy, cake, and ice cream as celebration foods, and we spray stupid amounts of glyphosate on our lawns to keep the “weeds” away despite all the facts that tell us these choices are harming us and the world we live in.
Can you choose differently?
Yes, you absolutely CAN.
It takes being intentional about your decision-making process and, often, it takes accountability.
Many people fail, not because they can’t do it, but because they can’t do it alone.
It takes community, which we are severely lacking these days.
Sometimes, it takes a guide, a teacher, someone who has gone before and can share experiences and setbacks with you.
Sometimes it takes a commitment to someone else to make your commitment to yourself stick.
We’re all that way.
We’re emotional beings reacting to the world around us emotionally.
But there’s no need to quit reading if the information is overwhelming or confusing
Whether you want to lose 10 pounds, learn to cook more in your own kitchen, or finally *actually* get your garden started, reach out if you’re struggling, challenged, or simply want to share your goal with someone else.
Connect if you need to brainstorm ideas, trouble-shoot a challenge, someone to cheer you on, or maybe even a good, swift kick in the ass.
I’ve been doing this for a long time—watching what keeps you stuck, and helping you make meaningful changes in the way you approach food, wellness, or farming.
Got a quick question?
Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, schedule a short chat and share where you want support. I’m here for you!
The Agriculture Writers’ Directory
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Readers—find topics and writers of interest in this directory of other publications focused on Agriculture.
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Well articulated points, thank you! And I love your idea of not waiting for Substack and creating a directory yourself 👍❤️
Great insight! This helps.