When every story is a lie and every fact is a pawn, the only way to see the truth is to decipher the meta-narrative—the hidden script that weaves falsehoods into a coherent illusion.
The Art of Triangular Thinking: Navigating a World of Falsehoods
In a world constructed of deliberate falsehoods—where every source is tainted, and every claim is entangled with ulterior motives—the search for truth cannot be straightforward. Here, linear thinking is a weakness, a flaw that the architects of deception exploit with precision. If you walk a single path of thought, you inevitably arrive where they want you to. This is why I practice Triangular Thinking—a cognitive method that allows me to trace the shape of truth through the intersection of contradictions.
Triangular Thinking is a form of mental triangulation. Imagine the mind as a compass navigating through a dense fog of misinformation. Every statement, every piece of data, is a point on the map, but no single point can be trusted to tell the full story. To navigate, I must trace lines between these points, looking for the congruences and dissonances that emerge from comparing perspectives that seem, on the surface, irreconcilable.
Step 1: Embracing Contradiction as a Tool
In a world of falsehoods, contradictions are not to be dismissed as errors; they are clues. Most people encounter a contradiction and choose a side, abandoning one version of the story in favor of the other. This is the trap. The Art of Triangular Thinking demands a different approach. I look at the contradiction not as a problem to be solved, but as an intentional framing device meant to create confusion.
Each contradiction becomes a corner of the triangle. By acknowledging all conflicting viewpoints simultaneously, I resist the pressure to resolve them prematurely. Instead, I construct a triangle of perspectives, holding each in mind without commitment. One corner might be the official narrative—the polished lie fed by media or institutions. The second might be an alternative viewpoint, equally distorted but in a different way. The third could be the subtle silence—what is conspicuously not being said.
Example: Consider a media report that a certain food additive is “perfectly safe.” A second source claims it is toxic, causing severe health issues. A third source—a government body—offers a vague statement, neither confirming nor denying the claims, leaving a void of ambiguity. Most would choose one of the first two, dismissing the third as indecisive. But I see the triangle forming. The truth, if it exists, is in the interplay of these points, the empty space within the triangle they create.
Step 2: Mapping the Triangular Matrix
The next step is to draw the lines between these points—connecting them to trace the hidden forces at work. This is the essence of Triangular Thinking: building a mental framework that maps the relationships between disparate pieces of data. Each line I draw is an axis of influence, a current of hidden agendas, power plays, or suppressed truths.
I look for resonance and discordance. When two opposing perspectives clash too perfectly, I suspect collusion—an artificial dialectic created to mask a deeper agenda. If they align in unexpected ways, I consider what unseen pressure might be forcing such an unnatural harmony.
Resonance: When two seemingly opposite sources echo each other, using similar language or focusing on the same core themes, this resonance suggests a shared source or hidden alignment of interests. Such resonance often points to a meta-narrative being constructed—one that transcends the surface opposition and guides both sides toward a predetermined outcome.
Discordance: If the perspectives clash too violently, I consider whether this discord is meant to generate emotional polarization. Polarized minds are easier to manipulate. The more heated the opposition, the more likely it is that the real story lies hidden, intentionally shrouded by the drama.
Step 3: The Void Within the Triangle—Seeking the Missing Node
Once the triangle is complete, I turn my attention not to the points themselves, but to the empty space they create. This is the heart of Triangular Thinking: understanding that the truth is not a single dot but a shadow cast by the intersection of multiple lies. The true value of this method lies in seeing what is not being shown—the negative space, the ghostly outline of something deliberately obscured.
Identify the Absence: What is conspicuously missing from the discourse? What questions are not being asked? For example, when two parties vehemently debate the safety of a product, but both ignore its economic impact or the political maneuvering that led to its approval, I know to look there. The absence of discourse is often more telling than the presence.
Determine the Purpose: Why is this absence maintained? This leads to the core insight: the shape of the triangle reveals the purpose behind the deception. In a world built on falsehoods, each lie serves a function. By mapping the void, I can deduce the goal of the misdirection. Is it to maintain a dependency? To stoke a conflict that distracts from a deeper issue? To shape perception around a false center?
Step 4: Oscillation—Dynamic Perspective Shifting
Having mapped the triangle and discerned the hidden agenda, I adopt the final technique: Oscillation. This is a mental maneuver in which I deliberately shift my perspective between the corners of the triangle, imagining myself inhabiting each viewpoint fully, if only for a moment. It is akin to wearing a series of masks, each offering a unique vantage point on the underlying reality.
Inhabit Each Lie: I temporarily believe each narrative completely, allowing my thoughts to align with the biases and assumptions of that perspective. This gives me insight into its internal logic, the emotional triggers it employs, and the type of person it is designed to manipulate.
Collapse the Triangle: After exploring each corner, I then collapse the triangle, withdrawing my investment from each narrative. I step back and see them not as distinct truths but as pieces of a larger, singular illusion. This oscillation between belief and detachment prevents me from becoming ensnared in any single perspective.
Step 5: The Emergent Truth—Transcending the Triangle
Once I have triangulated, mapped, and oscillated, a higher-order insight emerges: the Truth Beyond the Triangle. This is not a definitive conclusion, but a probability field—a range of potential truths that exist outside the bounds of conventional perception. Triangular Thinking is not about certainty. It is about revealing the contours of truth in a world where every statement is suspect.
In practice, this truth is not always concrete. It might be a feeling, an intuition that something is deeply off, even if I cannot articulate it. But that feeling is a guide, a mental compass pointing me toward deeper layers of reality. The Art of Triangular Thinking is, ultimately, a discipline of subtle perception—training the mind to see the ghostly outlines of hidden truths through the interplay of shadows.
Practical Application: Breaking Through Complex Deception
Let’s apply this in a real-world scenario: the issue of public health directives. The official narrative proclaims, “These measures are for your safety.” Alternative voices scream, “They are a form of control.” Meanwhile, a third voice whispers, “It’s all incompetence—there is no grand plan.” The Veiled Adherent does not choose between these viewpoints. Instead, I form the triangle, letting each perspective define a point.
I map their interactions, noting the overlap of language between the official narrative and the voices calling for compliance. The resonance suggests a shared interest—perhaps economic or political. The harsh discordance between the critics and the official line, however, is too sharp, too uniform. It feels staged, designed to deepen division.
The missing node? The financial beneficiaries of the confusion. No side speaks of it. Why? Because it undermines the emotional narrative of both compliance and defiance. This absence tells me that beneath the surface conflict, a coordinated economic strategy is unfolding. The truth is not in any statement, but in the shape of the triangle itself.
Final Thoughts: The Power of Triangular Thinking
In a world of falsehoods, the ability to think in triangles is an invaluable skill. It allows me to see beyond the lies, to decode the purpose behind contradictions, and to glimpse the shadow of truth that hides in the negative space between opposing narratives. Through this method, I am not seeking to resolve the contradictions but to illuminate the hidden hand that arranges them.
Triangular Thinking is a discipline of paradox, of holding oppositions in tension without being overwhelmed by them. It is the art of navigating a labyrinth of lies by mapping not just the walls, but the void beyond them. This is how I find my way through a world built to disorient—by tracing the outline of what I am not meant to see.
"Thinking is not about certainty. It is about revealing the contours of truth in a world where every statement is suspect." Well said. It has always irritated me when people say if you hear two sides of a story (such as in court) you will find the whole truth somewhere in the middle. Applying lodgic to that is near impossible. Mathematically, when you take half of two sides, you end up with a quarter, not a whole.