16 Facts
Facts Are Absolute Truth
We define facts as “absolute truth” in critical thinking. With facts, there is no debate. You are reading this right now; that's a fact. Facts are facts; they aren't hearsay, opinions, or rumors.
However, when someone says, “Here are the facts,” that doesn't mean what follows is factual. Remember the most recent presidential (or really, any political) debate? Both candidates stood up and said, “Here are the facts,” yet they contradicted each other. Facts can't be contradictory if they are indeed the one and only truth. So the facts the candidates were throwing at us were not really facts. You could even read in the paper the next day how unfactual their facts were.
When you hear something over and over and over again, you might mistakenly think it's a fact. When someone with great credibility says something, you might assume it's a fact. In either instance, it might be a fact—but unless you know the information to be true, it may not be.
Facts are a very important part of your premise. Because they are absolute truth, you can bank on, leverage, and state facts with confidence. It makes a premise strong. You can come to highly reliable conclusions if you base those conclusions on facts alone. Facts are often the basis for deductive reasoning. Although you don't get to use deductive reasoning often, when you do, it results in correct conclusions.
Mathematics is based on facts. Laws and rules are often used as facts. Science creates rules that, until proved otherwise, are considered fact.
Unfortunately, there aren't many facts. We can't be absolutely sure about the future, and because facts are absolute truth, nothing about the future is a fact. If someone makes a statement about the future, whatever it is, it certainly can't be a fact. For example, let's say the sun will shine somewhere on Earth tomorrow. Is that a fact? Although it is extremely probable, there is no guarantee the sun will be around tomorrow. It could explode, or an asteroid could destroy Earth tonight. Both scenarios are highly unlikely, but because they are both possible, they prohibit the statement about the sun shining on Earth tomorrow from being a fact.
Let's look at a statement. “I have a meeting tomorrow at 8:00 AM.” Is that a fact? You might think so—but no, it isn't! There are a multitude of reasons why that meeting might not happen. If you said, “I have a meeting in my calendar that is scheduled to start at 8:00,” then that is a fact. You know that to be true. However, there is no guarantee the meeting will occur.
How about this statement: “I have an open requisition for a new hire, and I've seen 15 résumés.” If true, that is a fact. It doesn't mean you'll hire anyone or that the requisition will remain open. It also doesn't mean you've reviewed the résumés; you may have just seen them.
What about this statement: “A customer called and said he is unhappy about the new policy described in the letter he received from my company.” If you define a customer as someone who has purchased something from your company, and the person who called indeed purchased something from your company, then it would be a fact that you have a customer. It is a fact your company sent out a letter explaining a new policy on renewal fees. It is a fact the customer called and said he was unhappy. But is he really unhappy? Maybe he is just saying that to get a better rate. Maybe his unhappiness might really be disappointment, or maybe he is distraught. It is a fact that he claimed to be unhappy, but you cannot say it's a fact he is actually unhappy. There's too much wiggle room around all the possible definitions of unhappy. Remember, if it generates a discussion—in this instance, just how unhappy is he?—then we don't call it a fact.
Use So What with Facts
A handy clarity tool to use when someone claims to present facts is so what. Asking this question allows you to uncover the importance of the fact under consideration. Consider the statement about seeing 15 résumés; the so what here might be that it's hard to find a good candidate to hire, that you need to find another source for candidates, or that it's great news because you may have just opened the requisition yesterday.
Fact or Not Fact?
Let's take a look at the following facts and determine how factual they really are.
Fact: When we asked our customer how we could improve our service, he said, “Deliver your products in five days or less.”
What's the fact here? Direct quotes from customers are facts, but the quote is the factual part, not necessarily the meaning behind it. The customer said we should deliver the product in five days or less, yet he might be satisfied with six days.
Fact: “It is raining outside.”
I know this to be true, because I'm standing outside, it is raining on me, and I'm getting wet. “It is raining” is a fact.
Fact: “It currently takes us an average of about 2 hours to complete this task.”
If the data are correct, this would be a fact.
Fact: “If we get this contract, we'll need to hire five people.”
This is not a fact, because it's something that's taking place in the future. You might find that you will need to hire five people, but maybe you won't. Maybe you'll find the right person who can do the work of two. Maybe someone will quit, and you'll need to hire six.
Fact: “Some people are not great communicators.”
Fact or not? We all know this is true based on our own idea of what communicating well entails. We've all met people whom we would describe as not being great communicators. Therefore, is this a fact? Is this absolutely true—does it generate discussion and debate? One question that might come about is “What do you mean by great communicator?” Until we define great communicator, this cannot be a fact.
The Takeaway
Facts are a component of your premise and are absolute truth. There are not many facts. Future events and predictions cannot be facts. Facts are not debatable. A fact is not “highly likely”; it is 100 percent, a sure thing.
If it's not a fact, then what is it? That's where observations come in.