Fakenews.pl is a portal run by the “We Counter Disinformation” foundation, which publishes investigations into false information. We present one of them: about a popular writer, a false quote and the related manipulation.
Not writer Lem, but boxer Jake Paul
In the age of social media, information can quickly gain popularity, sometimes disproportionately to the credibility of its source. An example of this phenomenon is the case of an alleged quote by Stanisław Lem, published by the Katechetka account on X. The quote became extremely popular, receiving more than 235,000 views and generating over 5,000 interactions, including 4,000 likes.
The alleged quote first appeared on 11 May 2024, in connection with a viral video featuring boxer Jake Paul speaking. It seems that when Paul uttered the words later incorrectly attributed to Lem, both pieces of content began circulating online, initiating the misunderstanding.
After thoroughly checking documentation of Lem’s work and other available sources, the Fakenews.pl team found no earlier mention of a similar statement.
As early as his 1974 short story “The Mask,” Stanisław Lem used inclusive, gender-neutral language. As Paweł Kozioł writes in Culture: “At first, the being refers to itself using the neuter form (I recognized myself). Later, however, it begins to perceive itself as a woman (Lem calls this a surge of gender).”
fakenews.pl
False quotes, particularly those attributed to famous figures, are common on the internet. It is worth noting that incorrectly attributing words affects the reputations of both writers and their works.
Ultimately, understanding and taking a critical approach to content published on social media can help avoid such disinformation. Source verification and healthy skepticism should be the basis of every interaction with information online.