What’s That Smell? Or, Never Ignore the Smell of Leaking Gas

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The natural gas that fuels our furnaces, water heaters, and gas stoves is naturally odorless. But it’s also highly flammable and dangerous, so sulfur is added to it to give it a distinctive odor, in case of leaks. My dad taught me early in my life to pay attention and tell an adult if I smelled gas.

When I grew up, I learned the gas company wanted us to report the smell of leaking gas to them immediately, so they could avert a potentially deadly catastrophe. They were confident. I never questioned their authority, especially because they said the same thing my dad did, and he was a trusted source.

I think it’s normal to respect people we trust or people we don’t know who speak with confidence. We’re inclined to believe they know what they’re talking about, and the speaker I was listening to recently was almost stridently confident. But when I heard the insistent Karoline Leavitt say:

“…by deciding which outlets make up the limited press pool on a day-to-day basis, the White House will be restoring power back to the American people.”

insistent young press secretary

my first thought was:

That doesn’t make any sense.

Me, listening carefully and thinking critically

If the range of news reports is limited, how does that give us, the American people, more power?

Or maybe a better question is:

Who gains power when those who report the news are a limited few?

Inquiring minds like yours and mine

Isn’t the answer obvious?

The people who set the limits grab the power.

Common Sense

Common sense is confirmed by Jacqui Heinrich, a senior White House correspondent at Fox News, who is also a board member of the White House Correspondents’ Association:

“This move does not give the power back to the people — it gives power to the White House.”

Jacqui Heinrich, White House Correspondents’ Association Board Member

When someone repeatedly tells you something they know isn’t true, and it doesn’t make sense or match reality or it makes you question the validity of your own thoughts, it’s called gaslighting. It’s a method of psychological manipulation. People who call it out may be further misled by the perpetrator.

This is a classic gaslighting technique — telling victims that others are crazy and lying, and that the gaslighter is the only source for “true” information. It makes victims question their reality …

Stephanie Sarkis

Of course, common sense also warns us against anyone who claims to be the Only One who tells the truth or can solve a problem. I mean, really — how likely is that considering there are 8 billion people on this planet?

So pay attention, listen carefully, think critically, and use your metaphorical sense of smell. Do you smell gas when a confident speaker you don’t know as a trusted source tries to convince you of something that doesn’t make sense?

I hope so. That’s how we will restore power to the American people.

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Photo credit: Ayesha Firdaus, unsplash.com