“Don’t Be That Guy”

Why You Can’t Win the Truth War with Lies

By LONNIE KING

I saw a video the other day claiming that Donald Trump made an unannounced visit to a high school and was immediately booed by students and teachers. No name of the school, no date, no mainstream coverage—just dramatic descriptions and a crowd reaction that played perfectly to what someone like me would want to see.

And, my social media algorithm feeds me these types of stories because I’ve conditioned it to “know” that is the type of stuff I want to see.

I’ll admit, it was tempting to believe. It felt good for about five seconds.

But it wasn’t real.  Honestly, I knew it the moment I read it.

And I’ve been sitting with that discomfort—the good feeling of knowing my algorithm “gets” me and the bad feeling of knowing I may have created a monster—because I know how easy it is to justify spreading something when it feels right, even if it’s not true.

🎯 The Temptation to “Get One Back”

Let’s be honest: some of us are tired. Tired of seeing hypocrisy go unchecked. Tired of bad actors dodging accountability. Tired of people shouting “fake news” while clinging to the fakest stuff on the internet.

Tired of seeing a place we thought we loved turned into a cesspool of hatred, privilege and lies.  Tired of having a president to not only allows the lies to spread, but actively participates in spreading them. So, perhaps not unsurprisingly, we love to see anything that looks or sounds like he might be getting ridiculed or skewered.

And I’ll be the first to admit—I’ve fallen for this stuff before. I’ve passed along memes and stories that turned out to be misleading or flat-out false, because they fit the mood I was in or scratched the itch of wanting to “make a point.” I wasn’t trying to deceive anyone. I just didn’t realize how often our emotions are the product being targeted.

But that’s the danger.

When a post hits just right—when it finally gives “them” a taste of public shame—it’s easy to hit share without hitting pause.

But here’s the catch: that’s exactly what we criticize “them” for doing.

If we’re going to call out disinformation when it’s used to harm others, we can’t turn around and weaponize it just because it makes us feel good.

🧠 Belief Isn’t a Shortcut for Truth

We don’t get a pass just because our intentions are noble. That’s the trap. We think:

• “Well, maybe it didn’t happen exactly like this… but it could have.”
• “Even if this specific story isn’t real, the spirit of it is true.”
• “If it exposes a larger injustice, what’s the harm?”

The harm is this: when we compromise truth to push a narrative, we lose the moral high ground. We become what we claim to oppose.

You don’t have to believe lies to stand for justice.  You don’t have to fake a moment to prove your side is right.

🪞What We Reflect Becomes What We Project

I think about this a lot in the context of my own faith.

If I really believe in the power of light over darkness—grace over manipulation—then I have to live that out, even when the easier path is just one juicy “gotcha” post away.

Yes, I want to see corrupt people face consequences.

Yes, I want to believe truth will eventually prevail. But no, I don’t want to become a mirror image of the propaganda machines I’ve spent years calling out.

⚖️ If the Truth Isn’t Enough, Maybe the Point Isn’t Worth Making

I don’t want to win arguments by cheating.  I don’t want to “own” anyone if the price is my own credibility.
And I don’t want to be part of the problem just because I’m angry at how big the problem has become.

So I’ll fact-check first.  I’ll choose pause over post.  And when I call something out, I’ll try my best to do it without becoming the thing I’m calling out.  And I’ll invite you to call me out if I ever fail to do that.

Because if I lose sight of that?

Then I’ve already lost.

Grace and grit to you! — LK