People tend to do one of two things:
not talktalk
Both are a problem.
If we’re facing an important issue at work, at school or in our community, our instinct is to let others who are better informed speak up. Which prevents people from voting on a school budget or even volunteering to speak in class. We need their input and their solutions, but without insight and understanding, folks understandably hold back.
At the same time, alas, it’s apparently becoming a badge of honor to speak up (loudly and often) when one has no knowledge, has done no homework and has no insight. That’s not helpful, but there it is.
The all-volunteer Carbon Almanac is a #1 bestseller precisely because it gives people a chance to know what they’re talking about. It’s an almanac, with more than 1,000 sources, so you can look up anything that seems surprising.
And because it’s inexpensive and easy to share, you can give one to someone who will benefit from it even more than you.
It’s helpful to know. And it’s helpful to talk about what you know. That’s how we make things better.