Day 72 - March 13, 2010

I have long since learned not to believe idle stories. - An Unlikely Friendship: A Novel of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley by Ann Rinaldi

Bad things about other people - I hear this stuff all the time. How much of it is true? How much do I believe? Starting today, I won't believe these things until they pass several tests:

• How trustworthy is the person saying it?
• Can it be verified by others or by me?
• What do my own best instincts and common sense have to say about it?
• Is my judgment impaired because I'm too anxious to believe it?

Sometimes you can't even believe what people say about things that only they would know about. If someone says, hey, I feel ___ about ____, you would think you could believe them. But you can't always.

It's hard to be able to distinguish what is true and what is not.

I am SICK. I can't breathe, and it sucks. I wish that were not true. I feel terrible.

Believe what you want, but be cautious, too.