Language is a funny thing because we use big phrases without really thinking about the mechanics behind them. You've heard it a million times in courtrooms, political debates, or maybe just during a heated Thanksgiving dinner argument: "I wouldn't give credence to that theory if I were you." It sounds formal, almost stiff. But beneath that polished exterior, the phrase is actually about the very human act of trust.
To define give credence to is, at its core, to acknowledge that something is likely true or valid. It’s not just "believing" something. It’s the active process of handing over a piece of your intellectual real estate to an idea. When you give credence to a rumor, you aren't just hearing it; you're allowing it to have weight. You're saying, "Okay, this has enough legs to stand on."
Words matter.
The Mechanics of Trust: What It Really Means
Most dictionaries will tell you that "credence" comes from the Latin credentia, which basically means belief. So, when you give credence, you are literally "giving belief." But in modern English, it’s shifted. It’s become a gatekeeper phrase.
Imagine you’re a detective. Someone walks in with a wild story about a heist. If you give their story credence, you aren’t necessarily saying they’re 100% right. You’re saying their story is worth investigating. It’s the difference between a "maybe" and a "definitely not." Honestly, in a world full of "fake news" and AI-generated hallucinations, knowing when to give credence to a source is probably the most important skill you can have.
It’s about the "receipts."
If a scientist publishes a paper, other scientists look at the methodology. If the math checks out, they give credence to the findings. If the math is fuzzy? They withhold it. It’s a binary switch that controls the flow of information in our brains.
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Why We Struggle to Define Give Credence To in Practice
The problem is that we aren't robots. We don’t just look at data and decide what’s true. We have biases. We have "gut feelings." This is where the phrase gets messy.
Psychologists often talk about confirmation bias, which is basically our tendency to give credence to things that already align with what we think. If you already dislike a certain celebrity, you're going to give way more credence to a negative tabloid story about them than a fan would. It’s not logical. It’s just how our brains are wired to save energy.
I remember reading a study by researchers at Princeton regarding "illusory truth." They found that if people hear a lie enough times, they start to give it credence simply because it feels familiar. Familiarity mimics truth. That’s a scary thought when you realize how much of our "knowledge" is just stuff we’ve heard on repeat.
The Social Cost of Credence
There is a heavy weight to this. If you give credence to a false accusation, you can ruin a life. If a government gives credence to faulty intelligence, they can start a war. We saw this in the early 2000s with the lead-up to the Iraq War; the "credence" given to reports of weapons of mass destruction changed the course of history, regardless of whether those reports were actually true.
It’s a power move. To give credence is to grant legitimacy.
Spotting the Difference Between Credence and Faith
People get these mixed up all the time.
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- Faith is believing in something despite a lack of evidence. It’s internal. It’s spiritual.
- Credence is usually tied to external evidence. You give credence to a weather report because the meteorologist has a radar and a degree.
Think about it this way: You have faith in your friend’s character. You give credence to their excuse for being late because they sent you a photo of a flat tire. One is a deep-seated feeling; the other is a logical reaction to a piece of information.
How to Better Vet What You Believe
So, how do you actually decide what deserves your "credence"? It’s not about being a cynic who believes nothing. That’s just as bad as believing everything. It’s about being a "discerning consumer."
- Check the Source Pedigree. Who is telling you this? If it’s a guy on TikTok with a filter, maybe hold off. If it’s a peer-reviewed journal or a journalist with a twenty-year track record of accuracy, it’s safer to give credence.
- Look for Corroboration. Does anyone else say this? If only one person is screaming about a "secret truth," it’s usually because it’s not true. Credence grows with consensus.
- Evaluate the Motive. Why are they telling you this? If someone stands to make a million dollars by convincing you of something, you should be very slow to give credence to their claims.
Common Misconceptions
A lot of people think that "giving credence" is the same as "agreeing." It’s not. You can give credence to an opponent’s argument—meaning you acknowledge their point is valid and based on facts—without actually agreeing with their conclusion. That’s called intellectual honesty. It’s rare. It’s also the sign of a very high IQ.
In legal settings, "giving credence" is a specific standard. A judge might tell a jury they need to decide how much credence to give a witness. They’re basically saying, "Decide if this person is a liar or not."
The Evolutionary Aspect
Why do we even have this mental category? Evolutionarily, humans had to decide very quickly who to trust. If a tribe member ran back to camp screaming about a saber-toothed tiger, you didn't have time to do a double-blind study. You had to give credence to their panic immediately or die.
Today, we don't have tigers. We have Twitter. We have 24-hour news cycles. But our brains are still using that same old "trust or die" hardware. This is why sensationalist headlines work so well; they bypass our logic and force us to give credence to things out of fear.
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Practical Steps for Daily Life
If you want to navigate the modern world without losing your mind, you have to be stingy with your credence.
Stop and ask: "Wait, why do I believe this?"
If the answer is "I saw it on a meme," you might want to revoke that credence.
Start by diversifying your information. Read things you disagree with. See if their arguments hold up. If you find yourself unable to give credence to anything the "other side" says, you’re probably stuck in an echo chamber.
Realize that credence is a currency. Every time you give it away, you’re investing a part of your identity into an idea. Spend it wisely.
Don't just take things at face value. Dig. Ask for the "why" behind the "what." When you finally do define give credence to a concept, make sure it’s because it earned it through rigour and transparency, not just because it was loud.
Moving Forward
Next time you’re scrolling through your feed or listening to a podcast, catch yourself in the act. Notice the moment your brain shifts from "skeptical" to "accepting." That is the moment you are giving credence. By becoming aware of that internal toggle, you regain control over your own worldview.
Start by questioning one "fact" you’ve taken for granted this week. Look up the original source. See if the evidence actually supports the weight you've given it. You might find that some of your most deeply held beliefs are built on surprisingly thin ice.