When are pedagogically motivated simplifications dangerous lies?

Abstract

Conspiracy theories, labelling unwanted facts as "fake news", and coming up with your own alternative facts are trends that seem to have exploded in recent years. As academically trained individuals we might shake our heads at the folly of the general public, but perhaps we are, at least partially, to blame through the way we teach our students. Textbooks in various disciplines are full of oversimplifications that are presented as truths without any indication that reality is more complex than that. Is there a way we can change our pedagogics such that we help our students, and the general public, to overcome the Dunning-Kruger effect?