Feelings Are Not Facts

[DISCLAIMER]

For those who participate in the subculture of hip hop, you’re likely familiar with a trend that I find tolerably annoying. When expressing agreement (harmony of opinion, action, or character) regarding a proposition, an individual lazily states “facts,” sometimes stylized as “factz.”

Noteworthy, a fact is something that has actual existence, represents an actual occurrence, or serves as a piece of information presented as having objective reality. As an example, I may state that blue is the best color. Someone then responds with an endorsement of this claim, “Facts!”

Agreement with a proposal, simply because one thinks or believes it to be true, doesn’t represent factual information. Rather, it serves as simple confirmation bias regarding what one thinks or believes. Unhelpfully, people sometimes refer to cognitive content of this kind as a feeling.

Yet, a feeling represents either an emotion (e.g., anger) or a sensation (e.g., tense shoulders), though saying that one “feels” as though a statement is true isn’t accurate. If a thought or belief can be substituted in place of a feelings-based misrepresentation of meaning, it isn’t a feeling.

Worth noting, a thought is an individual act or product of thinking. A belief is a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing. Thus, saying “I feel like what you’re saying is facts” isn’t in the slightest a precise way to communicate.

Instead, suggesting “I believe what you’re saying represents actual truth” is an appropriate way of expressing such sentiment. Perhaps you wonder why any of this matters. Am I pedantically nitpicking in this blogpost? No.

I practice Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), a psychotherapeutic modality that uses the ABC model to illustrate how when undesirable Actions occur and you then use unhelpful Beliefs, it’s your assumptions, and not the occurrences, which cause unpleasant Consequences.

Helpfully, you can then Dispute your unaccommodating attitudes in order to achieve Effective new beliefs. Noteworthy, only Beliefs are Disputed. This means that Consequential feelings (i.e., emotions and sensations) aren’t open to challenge. Thus, communicating efficiently is important.

What I’ve outlined thus far constitutes a factual representation of why the words we use matter. Factz! With this understanding in mind, I invite you to consider a separate case that I outlined in a blogpost entitled Facts Don’t Care About Your Feelings:

[T]o claim that “facts don’t care about your feelings” is to express that objective and evidence-based reality isn’t concerned with your emotions, body sensations, thoughts, beliefs, or intuition. This is likely because truth and reality exist outside of an individual, as nobody maintains a modified version of this principle (i.e., “my truth,” “my reality,” etc.).

Given this perspective, the hip hop trend of declaring “facts” when agreeing with a statement is something I find annoying. So, too, is the case of Republicans, Make America Great Again, America First, conservatives, and others from the rightwing who seemingly now ignore facts.

For instance, it was relatively five minutes ago that this cohort of individuals advocated factual claims about free speech. It’s an inalienable right. Yet, in a blogpost entitled You Oughta Keep Your Mouth Shut (5/11/2025), I noted a reversal in course from the Right by stating:

Granting the proposal that the “Constitution is the supreme law of the land” in the U.S. [United States], U.S. green card holders are fully covered by First Amendment protections. Although a military member apparently “oughta keep your mouth shut,” permanent residents can speak freely. However, according to one source:

President Donald Trump warned Monday [3/10/2025] that the arrest and possible deportation of a Palestinian activist who helped lead protests at Columbia University will be the first “of many to come” as his administration cracks down on campus demonstrations against Israel and the war in Gaza.

Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful U.S. resident who was a graduate student at Columbia until December, was detained Saturday [3/8/2025] by federal immigration agents in New York and flown to an immigration jail in Louisiana.

Herein, I’ve used information from ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] to illustrate that people like Khalil enjoy full rights afforded to U.S. citizens.

Since posting that blog entry, Khalil has prevailed in his case against the Trump administration. Free speech for the win! Recently, Khalil was interviewed about this matter. I could shout “facts” in response, though I’ll let you consider whether or not he expressed a factual point:

We need to distinguish between…between being uncomfortable, and between being unsafe. So, there should be a distinction between these two. I can understand how these protests may make someone uncomfortable, hearing that your country or a country that you support is committing a genocide. I can understand that, but feelings are not facts.

Even if you disagree with the assertion that Israel, supported by the U.S., is committing genocide – which I’m not too certain is an untrue claim – then I argue that at minimal it appears as though Israel has conducted ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Perchance you disagree.

Could we at least agree that “feelings are not facts,” and that free speech is worth preserving – even (or perhaps especially) when it involves speech with which people are uncomfortable? After all, protests and speech stemming from these activist events doesn’t cause discomfort.

Rather, one’s belief-consequence (B-C) connection is what results in “being uncomfortable,” as described by Khalil. Notice I didn’t endorse the notion that one can “feel” uncomfortable or unsafe. There is no such “feeling.” One either is or isn’t uncomfortable or unsafe.

Additionally, one may think that one is entitled not to hear opinions expressed by others which lead to discomfort when free speech is exercised and the B-C connection is violated. One may also believe that one is unsafe when a B-C connection is infringed.

Yet, “feelings are not facts.” The same point is factual when considering that not all thoughts or beliefs represent truth or reality. Thus, when thinking or believing unhelpful narratives, one may experience discomfort.

As for safety, ask the people of Gaza if they are or aren’t safe from Israel. I suspect you already know the answer to that question. What’s next, claiming that Israel hasn’t committed war crimes? If you believe that, then I question whether or not you’ve been paying attention.

In any event, when further contemplating the matter of feelings not representing facts, I’m reminded of the track “The Crude Facts” by Hydroponikz and SoulChef from their 2020 album NY2NZ. In particular, the hook of this song comes to mind:

They’re upstairs, tryna keep us downstairs

They’re inside, tryna keep us out there

Fuck scared, we only operate without fear

What we’re fighting for, my rights and yours

That’s why we take it, they ain’t never really giving much

But we were born to shine regardless, we gon’ live it up

It’s only fair we do to you what you did to us

What we’re fighting for, our rights and more

Khalil proverbially fights for the right of free speech. Irrespective of whether or not you support his other causes, I invite you to consider what he said about feelings not representing facts. As well, in view of “The Crude Facts”, I argue that justice is worth preserving. Maybe you disagree.

If so, upon what grounds does your opinion dissent? I’m not concerned about what you’re “feeling.” Herein, I’m asking about what you think and believe. Besides, “feelings are not facts.” That assertion is worthy of a hip hop-esque “facts!” as far as I’m concerned. How about you?

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As the world’s foremost hip hop-influenced REBT psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit, fair use

References:

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