That's My Story and I'm Sticking to It...Um..Maybe Not

[easysurfer]

Who would have thought that in a matter of a couple of weeks, Bill Belichick would have more credibility than Brian Williams

Looks like Brian Williams is in hot water was the question is can her survive his job.

It seems hard to believe that NBC News anchor Brian Williams would remember riding in a helicopter that was shot down if he was nowhere near it, but there are reasons that it's plausible.

Ask Elizabeth Loftus, a psychologist who pioneered the study of false memory — what happens when people remember things that didn't happen or remember them differently than how they happened.

Brian Williams not alone in having false memories

Not saying Brian Williams isn't one tell tall tales, but I know for me I've had memories of experiences, for example, then remember, wait, so and so wasn't around then

 

[ERD50]

That headline assumes it was a false memory. But maybe he was just trying to pump himself up, and foolishly thought he could get away with it? Seems people in high places have big egos and make some pretty stupid decisions.

So maybe he could have got some corroboration on the story before telling it over and over again? And he initially told the story correctly - does that fit in with 'false memory'?

I was in a serious car accident, and 29 years later, I still know that I was hit, not the car in front of me.

-ERD50

 

[candrew]

Williams wouldn't be the first person of notoriety to inflate and/or completely fabricate experiences in an act of self embellishment. Consider the late Darrow "Duke" Tully, former publisher of the AZ. Republic newspaper and close friend of Senator John McCain. Tully fabricated an entire military career - even appearing publicly in dress blues - until his lies were exposed and he ended up slinking off into relative anonymity.

Darrow 'Duke' Tully: Whopper of a lie marked former publisher's life | Tampa Bay Times

A local Phoenix entrepreneur turned a few bucks on Tully's story by selling thousands of bumper stickers around town that simply stated, "I Flew With The Duke!" It appears Brian Williams also flew with The Duke.

 

[Tailgate]

apparently there's more to come...

 

[harley]

I personally don't buy it. Unless the person is a pathological liar they can't usually convince themselves something so far off of reality is true. This isn't like suppressed memories coming to light later in life. This is flat out trying to make yourself look different than what you really are. Very similar to Hillary Clinton's sniper fire story, which was just a political maneuver. But it didn't derail her career, and I don't see that this will make a major impression on Brian's career either. Mostly I think the public understands that many public figures play fast and loose with the truth, and don't really pay any attention except to have a laugh when they get caught.

 

[marko]

As a side note, I find it interesting at the short shelf life of these 'hot' items.

"Deflate-gate" was hot for a few days,
replaced by the blizzards in the NE,
replaced by the Super Bowl,
replaced by ISIS,
replaced by Brian Williams,
(now) replaced by Bruce Jenner,
replaced by (next)

Even if you're at the center of the worst news, it seems all you have to do is hold your breath for a few minutes and the media is on to the next new thing.

 

[HFWR]

Too many news "celebrities" think they are part of the news...


Sent from my iCouch using Early Retirement Forum

 

[audreyh1]

I don't follow news of celebrities and I don't care to here about them at all? That's one of many reasons why I have turned the news off.

 

[easysurfer]

I could see a false memory. Like someone saying "I remember our first date. You were in that hot red dress"... Ooops! wrong person"

But too many, then there is a pattern.

 

[Car-Guy]

I'm not a skeptic. I believe there is usually an element of truth in most news stories, but varies depending on the network and newscaster. Just need to figure out what is truth vs embellishment, bias, fabrication (lie), etc.

 

[JPatrick]

One American is better than...


A large group of ISIS fighters in Iraq are moving down a road when they hear a voice call from behind a sand dune:
"One American is better than ten ISIS fighters."
The ISIS commander quickly orders 10 of his best men over the dune where a gun battle breaks out and continues for a few minutes, then silence.

The voice once again calls out: "One American is better than one hundred ISIS 'S.O.B.'s'."
Furious, the ISIS commander sends his next best 100 troops over the dune and instantly a huge gun fight commences. After 10 minutes of battle, again silence.

The voice calls out again: "One American is better than a thousand ISIS fighters."
The enraged ISIS commander musters 1,000 fighters and sends them to the other side of the dune. Rifle fire, machine guns, grenades, rockets and cannon fire ring out as a terrible fight is fought ... then silence.
Eventually, one badly wounded ISIS fighter crawls back over the dune and with his dying words tells his commander, "Don't send any more men ... it's a trap. It's Brian Williams back there...

 

[Major Tom]

Very similar to Hillary Clinton's sniper fire story, which was just a political maneuver. But it didn't derail her career, and I don't see that this will make a major impression on Brian's career either.

IMO though, the difference is that people expect politicians to lie/bend the truth (or whatever you want to call it). If a so-called journalist does the same, he/she has nothing left to fall back on.

Anyone who is fairly serious about their news doesn't rely on network "news" anyway.

 

[easysurfer]

My main interest from the original article isn't on whether Williams is outright lying or not (what happens will play out in time), but more about false memories.

Such as like when seeing a friend and recalling the time going together to a game. Then saying something like "Oh, yeah, and after the star spangled banner, remember the flyover by the military jets?" Then your friend looks at you and says "Military jets?"

 

[marko]

Such as like when seeing a friend and recalling the time going together to a game. Then saying something like "Oh, yeah, and after the star spangled banner, remember the flyover by the military jets?" Then your friend looks at you and says "Military jets?"

Had that happen to me...it was a flock of pigeons. Bad eyesight I guess.

 

[travelover]

As a side note, I find it interesting at the short shelf life of these 'hot' items.

"Deflate-gate" was hot for a few days,
replaced by the blizzards in the NE,
replaced by the Super Bowl,
replaced by ISIS,
replaced by Brian Williams,
(now) replaced by Bruce Jenner,
replaced by (next)

Even if you're at the center of the worst news, it seems all you have to do is hold your breath for a few minutes and the media is on to the next new thing.

I can't believe how fast the Ebola epidemic was tamed after the last US election.

 

[marko]

I can't believe how fast the Ebola epidemic was tamed after the last US election.

IIRC, Ebola was replaced by under inflated footballs; y'know, more important stuff.

 

[JPatrick]

Had that happen to me...it was a flock of pigeons. Bad eyesight I guess.

Can't remember who said it--Yogi maybe

He who spend time looking up at a flock of pigeons end up with bad eyesight--------and messy shirt.

 

[easysurfer]

False memories are more common than you might think...

False memories are more common than you might think, particularly when they involve emotional events, like reporting from a war zone. Understanding how your mind can fool you is key to knowing how seriously to take yourself, even in something like investing.

For decades, psychologists have interviewed people about an emotional topic, added some fake details and watched their subjects’ memories trick them.

“Memory is man’s greatest friend and worst enemy,” said novelist Gilbert Parker. That’s because memory is just a series of woven-together stories we tell ourselves. And we can be such good storytellers — and such elaborate weavers — that what we recall as fact can be bits and pieces of truth spun into something that never happened.

Motley Fool: Everyone is a liar - Herald-Zeitung Online: Business

 

[Rustic23]

I just checked my records so I would not rely on false memory I have a little over 650 hours of combat time. I don't remember all the sorties, but I do remember the ones I was shot at, and a few others. I also remember several surface to air missile shots aimed at an aircraft several miles away. I personally don't believe William's confused memories. I also heard a clip of him during Katrina where he talks about seeing a body floating through the French Quarters off is balcony. It was pointed out the French Quarter did not flood.

He is, however, in the entertainment business, so rather than puffing to make his reputation, he may have just been trying to make the story sound better. Maybe that's whats wrong with entertainment news.

 

[MooreBonds]

Some people simply lie their @ss off. I was engaged to a woman who did this. After the engagement ended, she ran off to the media with fabricated, grossly exaggerated details (and sometimes outright lies) of the proposed wedding, just to get attention and sympathy. She has a psychological condition called histrionic personality disorder. I'm not saying Brian Williams has this - but there are quite a few people out there who will BS their way through life, however they can, to manipulate people and get attention. Even if it means completely making up stuff. People who don't feel a need to do this can't comprehend why someone would do this - but they are out there.

Same with the Salahis - remember that couple that was caught sneaking into some White House cocktail party in 2009? First they post photos to their facebook accounts to imply that they have connections that got them into some White House event. Then when they were caught, they continued to lie and make up stuff, even though it was obvious they were caught red-handed.

 

[easysurfer]

I confess that a false memories I have is I swear that I heard of the death of Clarence Clemons from the E Street Band about a year before he actually died. When I heard the actual news (well, for me a year later) that definitely gave me that deja vu feeling.

My explanation is perhaps I had heard that he had a stroke, but my mind registered that he had died. Then later when he died, I thought that was the second time I heard the news. Tricks played on my tired mind.

I'm sure police officers who interview victims of crimes encounter a lot of false memories as they describe the events that happened.

 

[Bestwifeever]

As a side note, I find it interesting at the short shelf life of these 'hot' items.

"Deflate-gate" was hot for a few days,
replaced by the blizzards in the NE,
replaced by the Super Bowl,
replaced by ISIS,
replaced by Brian Williams,
(now) replaced by Bruce Jenner,
replaced by (next)

Even if you're at the center of the worst news, it seems all you have to do is hold your breath for a few minutes and the media is on to the next new thing.

I'm thinking the next next will be poor Bobbi Kristina.

I was interested to learn that actress Allison Williams, who played Peter Pan this past December on NBC's live musical broadcast, is the daughter of Brian Williams, who plays an anchorman on NBC's live news broadcast. At least he says she's his daughter

 

[tryan]

Amazing these people can't just REPORT the news ... they need to BE the news ... MAKE (UP) the news.

No wonder they are so easily seen as biased and viewers are dropping them as a news source.

 

[chilkoot]

False memories are more common than you might think...






Motley Fool: Everyone is a liar - Herald-Zeitung Online: Business

For the sake of conversation, let's give Williams all benefit of the doubt. This was a false memory, of an event from years ago.
The unavoidable truth is that other people who were in the same situation didn't report any such memories.

As a news person he's peddling his credibility. If you were paying his salary would you feel you were getting your money's worth?

 

[easysurfer]

For the sake of conversation, let's give Williams all benefit of the doubt. This was a false memory, of an event from years ago.
The unavoidable truth is that other people who were in the same situation didn't report any such memories.

As a news person he's peddling his credibility. If you were paying his salary would you feel you were getting your money's worth?

I do think Williams has false memories.

In that same link, there are examples of faulty memories about 9/11:

Psychologist Lawrence Patihis of the University of California, Irvine, discussed the Sept. 11 attacks with a group of research subjects and found that, when prompted, several could vividly describe seeing video of Flight 93 crashing into a field in Pennsylvania (this video, of course, doesn’t exist). “It just seemed like something was falling out of the sky,” one participant said. “I was just, you know, kind of stunned by watching it go down.”

That said, I do agree that his credibility is definitely on the line and Lester Holt should get some very nice suits from the tailor as he may be sitting in the Nightly News chair for some time .