TRUTH OR NOT
Friday Nov. 24, 2017
I read something rather pedestrian the other day – not much memorable, but within it one stunning statement stood out: “Truth does not come from words”.
So, OK, maybe that is correct – which caused me to ask, “here does truth come from?”.
Is it feeling, or thought? Is it choice, or analysis?
What is truth?
I googled. I found a mish-mash of definitions of truth, several pieces with ‘what is truth?’ in their title or text. I read a few. I just got more confused. Why cannot true, truth and knowing not be expressed simply in an economy of words – why must it be written about and discussed at length is if it was some complex theory of quantum mechanics?
Truth is simple.
It is what we know for certain – surely it is not more complicated than that.
Sometimes we rely on others, on books and statements about certainty of something, but how can we know – from someone else’s words, someone else’s convictions – that some fact or situation is true?
We can guess, we can trust, we can ‘reasonably rely’ because the source has proven to be reliable before on other things – but unless we know ourselves, for certain, we don’t know.
I’m certain it doesn’t come from words and I’m becoming convinced it doesn’t come from reasoning and deduction – but rather it comes from actions and knowledge we know. Then, most often, truth is truth. Otherwise it’s a good guess, it’s about having confidence in the words of others – of accepting their words about truth …
In the words of Mark Twain, “If you tell truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
Reader feedback:
LIFE IS A HUMAN RACE
Mark, Just want to let you know I am enjoying receiving your Musings every morning. Very inspirational. Keep up the good work, Cheers, HA, Calgary, AB …PS, at our age it is very hard to be the fastest gazelle!!!
