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Octonary Sources

Octonary Sources

Just because someone says something authoritatively, or because a great many people follow (befriend, link with, join, adhere to, worship) them, doesn’t make it true. Social media have exacerbated the opportunity to promulgate falsehoods, inaccuracies, and uninformed opinions.

In any kind of scientific or academic research, one should pursue original sources, not secondary sources. Social media are predominantly secondary, tertiary, and even quaternary sources. Someone’s uncle knows a person who went to pharmacy school for a year before flunking out who recalls a books that claimed that….

Danielle Boone existed, although not all legends and stories about him are accurate, especially those from Disney. Luke Skywalker never existed except in fantasy. You may have an opinion about Ronald Regan as President (or as an actor) but you can’t deny he was President (or an actor).

Next time one of those annoying people put up yet another dumb chart explaining that there are 14 traits of great leadership, don’t simply accept it. Ask who they are and how they reached that conclusion. (I love claims like “Over 74% of people are disengaged at work!” Says who?) Very few of them are in a position to have ever practiced what they’re preaching.

Written by

Alan Weiss is a consultant, speaker, and author of over 60 books. His consulting firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc., has attracted clients from over 500 leading organizations around the world.

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