Friday essay: why radical ideas from psychoanalysis are my guiding light in a chaotic world

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · Apr 16, 2026 · 2546 words · By Nicola Redhouse

The value of intellectual curiosity vs. certainty Critique of modern digital media consumption The necessity of open-mindedness in political discourse

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What to know about The value of intellectual curiosity vs. certainty

The article argues that in an era characterized by digital fragmentation, political polarization, and the rapid dissemination of unchecked information, the capacity for curiosity—or 'generative uncertainty'—is a vital intellectual skill. Drawing on psychoanalytic theory, the author advocates for adopting an open-minded attitude that values questioning and bearing witness to complex truths over the comfort of certain answers.

Propaganda risk 30%

Claims checked 16

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

When I taught short fiction writing, I used to quote writer Meg Wolitzer on the pleasures of the form.

Why it matters

“You will find yourself in a place you didn’t know about before.

Common ground

A place where you didn’t expect to be.” The trick, I’d tell my students, is to make the reader curious.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Slogans, Selective Omission: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this The value of intellectual curiosity vs. certainty story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that AI also encourages surface-level, short-form entertainments, in a world where 36% of 18–24-year-olds get their news from TikTok?
How does this story connect The value of intellectual curiosity vs. certainty with Critique of modern digital media consumption over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-why-radical-ideas-from-psychoanalysis-a…

analyticsAnalysis

30%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 90%

Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Slogans 70% confidence

Using a brief, striking phrase to provoke an emotional reaction.

Why it matters: Recognizing slogans helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Selective Omission 70% confidence

Deliberately leaving out important context or facts that would change interpretation.

Why it matters: Recognizing selective omission helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 6

schedule Pending 6

check_circle Corroborated 3

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “AI also encourages surface-level, short-form entertainments, in a world where 36% of 18–24-year-olds get their news from TikTok.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While multiple sources discuss TikTok's role in news consumption, none of the provided evidence explicitly states that '36% of 18–24-year-olds get their news from TikTok.' The evidence suggests TikTok is a major news source for young people, but the specific statistic (36%) is not corroborated by the provided search results or Wikipedia entries.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — TikTok, known in mainland China, Macau, and Hong Kong as Douyin (Chinese: 抖音; pinyin: Dǒuyīn; lit. 'Shaking Sound'), is a social media and short-form online video platform. It hosts user-submitted vid…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Alt TikTok (or 2020 Alt) was an online youth subculture and internet community that emerged on TikTok in 2020. Alt TikTok users (also known as alt girls, alt boys, or alt kids) emerged as primarily LG…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alt_TikTok

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Libs of TikTok is the username of various American anti-LGBTQ and far-right social-media accounts operated by Chaya Raichik ( KHAH-yə RY-chik), a former real estate agent. Raichik uses the accounts to…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libs_of_TikTok

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “New wars in Iran and Lebanon have joined those in Ukraine and Gaza – where there is currently a ceasefire.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm ongoing instability and conflict in Lebanon and Iran, alongside references to the Gaza war and the general regional conflict involving Ukraine (though Ukraine is not detailed in the evidence, the context of 'new wars' is supported by the regional conflict descriptions). Specifically, sources mention ongoing conflict/instability in Lebanon and Iran-backed militias, alongside the Gaza war.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting military and government sites, assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials, and infli…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and Israel, fought as part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflicts. The war began on 7 October 2023, when the Palestinian mi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iran and Israel have been engaged in a proxy conflict since 1985. In the Israeli–Lebanese conflict, Iran has supported Lebanese Shia militias, most notably Hezbollah. In the Israeli–Palestinian confli…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–Israel_proxy_conflict

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 3: “A recent analysis of 35 million public Facebook posts revealed that 75% of shared links had not even been read by their poster.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was gathered for this claim.

info

Claim 4: “Five years after COVID, 55% of Australians felt the country was now more divided than it had been before 2020.”

SINGLE SOURCE

One web search result reports that the Togetherness Index fell, with 44% believing Australia is more divided than 12 months ago. However, the specific figure of '55% of Australians felt the country was now more divided than it had been before 2020' cannot be verified by the provided evidence, although the general theme of increased division is supported.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Asian Australians are Australians of Asian ancestry, including naturalised Australians who are immigrants from various regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants. At the 2021 census, the propo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Australians

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The COVID-19 pandemic in Australia was part of the worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first confi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Australia

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The general COVID-19 vaccination in Australia program began on 22 February 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the goal of vaccinating all willing people in Australia before 2022. Front-li…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_vaccination_in_Austra…

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 5: “The No campaign for the 2023 Referendum, for example, argued that a Voice to Parliament was risky and unknown: if you don’t know, vote no.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 6: “A 2023 study showed only 24% of Australians would help a person in need who strongly disagreed with their own strong view on a societal issue.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provides reports from 2023 regarding Australian attitudes (Foodbank Hunger Report, OAIC survey), but none of the sources contain the specific statistic that 'only 24% of Australians would help a person in need who strongly disagreed with their own view on a societal issue.'

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultura…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australians

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum was a constitutional referendum held on 14 October 2023 in which the proposed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice was rejected. Voters were aske…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Australian_Indigenous_Voi…

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 7: “But it is prone to disastrous errors of sense when answering questions that involve an understanding of context, notoriously giving harmful advice when it comes to eating disorders or depression.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 8: “The conflict in Israel and Gaza is the most polarising issue of the 21st century and continues to be highly polarising in the sense that it’s one that people are just encamped in their trenches and don’t talk to each other,” one respondent said in a 2024 poll.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence confirms that the Gaza conflict is a major source of polarization and that polls exist regarding perceptions of the conflict. However, the specific quote attributed to a '2024 poll respondent' stating it is the 'most polarising issue of the 21st century' is not directly quoted or corroborated by the provided search results, although the theme of polarization is present.

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web search NEUTRAL — The Gaza conflict also made 26% and 35% of respondents view the Israeli people and Israel, respectively, in a more negative light, while 43% of people said that the Gaza war didn’t affect their percep…
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-893299

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web search NEUTRAL — Most live in Jordan, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Syria and Lebanon. Palestinians insist on the right of refugees to return but Israel has refused this. It criticises the UN's Palestinian refugee ag…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgr71z0jp4o

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web search NEUTRAL — The Gaza war[h] is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and Israel, fought as part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflicts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_war

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Claim 9: “a White House culture of lies – such as Donald Trump’s recent claim that regime change has occurred in Iran – requires a deeper level of fact-checking.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent cross-reference sources confirm that Donald Trump made the claim regarding regime change in Iran.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Trump stated 'regime change has occurred' in Iran
https://www.dw.com/en/how-long-can-irans-asymmetric-strategy…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Mr. Trump claimed regime change in Iran had already occurred.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/trump-iran-speec…

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Claim 10: “AI encourages quick, unreliable answers, rather than deep dives and nuance.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided consists of general articles about AI features (Google, Perplexity, xAI) which discuss capabilities like 'deeper exploration' or 'advanced reasoning,' but none of the sources directly or independently confirm the generalized claim that 'AI encourages quick, unreliable answers, rather than deep dives and nuance.' The evidence is descriptive of AI tools, not a consensus on their effect on user behavior.

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web search NEUTRAL — Guided AI search with Pro mode for deeper exploration of complex topics.Thread follow-up keeps context, so each question builds on previous answers.Voice input and readouts for quick, hands-free quest…
https://apkpure.net/perplexity-ask-anything/ai.perplexity.ap…

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web search NEUTRAL — xAI builds Grok, an AI chatbot with voice chat, image and video generation, real-time search, and advanced reasoning.Grok is your cosmic guide, now accessible on grok.com, iOS, and Android. Explore th…
https://x.ai/

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web search NEUTRAL — The AP tested Google’s AI feature with several questions and shared some of its responses with subject matter experts. When asked what to do about a snake bite, Google provided an impressively thoroug…
https://medium.com/@saumitra.upadhyaya/the-moonwalking-misin…

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Claim 11: “A study of large-scale data from Twitter (now X) proved that users’ ideological stance in one debate predicts their positions in others.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 12: “Only 21% would be willing to live in the same neighbourhood as them and only 19% would be willing to work alongside them.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provides reports on Australian housing mobility and demographics, but none of the sources contain the specific statistics that 'Only 21% of Australians would be willing to live in the same neighborhood, and 19% would be willing to work alongside them.'

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This publication presents statistics compiled from the Survey of Income and Housing (SIH) on Australian housing mobility and dwelling conditions. The latest data were collected in 2019-20 SIH as well …
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/housing-mob…

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web search NEUTRAL — Older people make up a considerable proportion of Australia@s population @ at 30@June 2020, over 1 in 6 people were aged 65 and over. The report details the demographic profile of older Australians...
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australia…

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web search NEUTRAL — Australian Greens politics, news and discussion Moderator Ian MacdonnellMar 11 Moderator BRAWN v BRAINS?Laura Tingle: "This war increasingly feels like a contest between an "all hardware, no strategy"…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VoteGreens/posts/31163300918…

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Claim 13: “It can pinpoint rare medical conditions.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 14: “In Australia last month, the primary vote of far-right populist party One Nation was higher than the Coalition’s for the first time.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report that One Nation's primary vote has surpassed or led the Coalition in various polls and states recently.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A federal election is scheduled to be held by 2028 to elect members of the House of Representatives and half of the Senate to the 49th Parliament of Australia. The incumbent Labor government, led by P…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_Australian_federal_electi…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Pauline Hanson's One Nation (PHON), commonly known as One Nation (ON), is a right-wing populist political party in Australia. It is led by its founder Pauline Hanson, who has been a senator for Queens…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Nation

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In the lead-up to the next Australian federal election, a number of polling companies have conducted opinion polls, often for various news organisations. These polls collect data on parties' primary v…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_A…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 15: “When the New Yorker published it in 1948, it generated a flood of complaints and subscription cancellations – and utter puzzlement.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 16: “The two were engaged in daily conversation for decades, challenging and questioning each other, particularly around research methods.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.