Derek Sivers
from the book “Useful Not True”:

People share perspectives, not facts

2025-12-16

People communicate for social and emotional reasons. (Notice the word “commune” in “communicate”.)

Socially, they want to bond. Judgements, gossip, ethics, and opinions are all great for signaling and connecting.

Emotionally, they want validation. They want others to acknowledge and agree that their viewpoint is justified. When you can see someone’s point of view, it tells them that you’re standing on their side.

That’s why people rarely share objective unbiased facts. Actual facts are as boring as dirt. Nobody bonds over facts. They have more incentive to share their thoughts, which are never necessarily true.

Useful Not True book chapter cover