The Gaza Blast and the Tinkerbell Effect

 Just Because You Want It to Be True … 

By James Terminiello 

 

When one is particularly passionate about one’s cause one can fall easily into the trap of the Tinkerbell Effect. In essence, you believe in your cause so strongly that you are convinced it MUST be entirely true. Even in the face of impressive, cutting, and contrary facts. 

I was once in a debate with a woman who insisted that all handicapped people could hold down jobs and earn substantial pay.  As the father of an autistic man with severe communication problems, I differed and related my experiences with numerous similarly handicapped individuals who tried and failed in the workplace and had to fall back on work shelters where aides guided them and the wages were, of necessity, quite low.  Their inability to communicate was just one issue that held them back. And there were others. 

I was not at all happy with this cruel reality, but I faced it without the comfort and illusion of rose-colored goggles. Undaunted, the woman then picked up a folding chair and threw it across the room. 

“Have I communicated something to you?” She asked this as if she had masterfully proven her point. 

“Yes, anger,” was my answer. “But you didn’t tell me why you were angry. Was it because you disagreed with me violently or was it that you didn’t like the color of the grapefruit in the salad? That is the communication problem.” 

Of course, we parted company neither one changing the mind of the other. Such is human nature. 

While this was a mere social situation, the Tinkerbell Effect has been at play to grievous effect on the world stage.  Witness the recent blast at a hospital in Gaza City. It was the Israelis who destroyed the hospital and murdered 500 people in cold blood. No wait! It was just damaged! The blast was only in the parking lot! Maybe 30 to 40 people were killed! Oh, uh, and it could have been a Hamas bomb gone astray and not the Israelis!   

Here is a textbook example of reporting under the influence of the Tinkerbell Effect. People reported things the way they want them to be. Reality and the truth be damned! Yes, the fog of war always produces this kind of mangled reporting, but too many news agencies ran with the initial bogus reports. It was just too juicy and incendiary to ignore … and it might also have fit into their way of thinking.  

Makes you wonder about all those people who stated categorically that Donald Trump was in league with Vladimir Putin, and that Brett Kavanaugh was a college rapist.  

Now more than ever, for any news story you must first ascertain the source and then recognize the particular bent of the individual or individuals reporting the story before you digest the information.  

And even then, you must take that information with, as the Romans would say, cum grano salis.  

James Terminiello, author of the political satire Junkyard, writes from Mount Laurel, New Jersey.