Same world. Different realities.
A few years ago, something happened that I haven’t been able to shake.
In 2022, on the way to visit a concentration camp in Germany, two of my brothers got into an argument.
One said, “I worry if Donald Trump gets elected again, we’re headed in this direction.”
The other said, “That’s funny… because under Joe Biden, I feel like we’re already there.”
I thought about that moment for a long time.
How could two smart, reasonable people look at the same world and come away with completely different conclusions?
Eventually, I realized they weren’t just disagreeing.
They were being shown entirely different versions of reality.
Different media ecosystems report different sets of facts to stoke outrage.
Outrage drives record profits.
That realization stuck with me.
The idea that we’re living in a post-truth world.
This song came out of it.
Our new single “They Tell Lies” is out now:
If nothing else, maybe it will give you and your brother something to agree on: that we’re all living in a world where lies for profit are getting harder to ignore.
Jim
The Sunmills 🎸
Photo of Jim by Jade Woodings.