Truth is subjective. We want to believe that it’s not, that there is a universal right and wrong, a simple definition of good and evil. We search for objective reason in everything in our lives, but the truth about truth is that it is subjective. It depends on perspective, on experience, on the ways that we’ve let life, time, and the world shape, influence, and, ultimately, change us.
What is true for one person – what they base their beliefs and values and morals upon – may be vastly different for someone else. Culture, tradition, nationality, race, religion, gender, sexuality – all the details that make us who we are – affect how we define truth. While we may all be driven by a universal unity in our fundamental being and existence, we can’t deny that our individual, unique experiences alter our perception of what we identify as being true.
Especially in today’s society where “fake news” and “alternative facts” are seemingly all too prevalent, undeniable Truth is hard to pin down. When every keyboard crusader can become an expert in manipulating information and promoting subtle deceit, it’s increasingly difficult to know what to believe and who to trust. And that’s what makes truth so elusive these days. It’s also what makes it so dangerous. Wars are fought, people and places are wiped out, and irreparable decisions are made on a global scale, all in the name of Truth. Because we convince ourselves that it is objective, that our particular brand of truth is the only real and right one, we destroy one another based on something entirely subjective.
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It’s human nature to seek answers to questions – particularly the unanswerable ones. We look for meaning and substance in every occurrence. We search for solutions to problems constantly, seeking ways to keep learning and growing into something more, something better. And that’s why we value truth as a definitive part of our lives. That is why we praise honesty, sincerity, authenticity in ourselves and each other. We demand it in our relationships with those around us and we punish the ones who don’t give it to us.
The ironic thing about it is that, while we hold others to exceptional (and sometimes impossible) standards of truth, we tend to blur the lines and fudge the details when it comes to our own truthfulness. As with love and unity, the concept of truth becomes cloudy due to our own self-interest and sense of self-preservation. We lie all the time. We lie to each other in an attempt to spare feelings, we lie to ourselves to justify our actions, we lie for countless reasons in vastly varied circumstances.
As much as we may want to value and promote the pure, honourable concept of truth, the truth of the matter is that we manipulate it when it suits us. And, even if it’s not done on a conscious level, the truth alters and changes as time goes by. We develop and learn and grow and our perception of what is true alters and changes alongside us.
So, instead of pretending to believe in objective truth and instead of attempting to convince one another that our individual truth is truer than true, perhaps we should accept truth for being what it is – a subjective, biased, ever-evolving point of view that permeates into every aspect of who we are and what we do. And if we can accept that, maybe we can start to approach each other and the world around us with a more open, tolerant, and curious attitude towards what is and isn’t undeniably true.