“Because something is happening
here and you don’t know what it is,
Do you, Mr. Jones…”The big problem I see with this is that if everyone creates their own truth, then no one’s ideas are any better than anyone else’s ideas. All ideas are equal. But if all ideas are equal why research anything? Why, for example, should we spend billions of dollars and countless hours researching cancer? If there’s no truth, what the heck are we looking for?
What would you say if I told you that all those hours and all those dollars are wasted because I know the cure for cancer? Actually, I don’t know the cure for all cancers, but I do know that if you take a live chicken, cut it in two, and place the pieces immediately on the patient’s chest, the chicken blood will draw the cancer from the lungs. Why are you laughing? The answer, of course, is that you know it isn’t true. But that’s my point. If you know that something is not true, then it must logically follow that something is true. Truth does exist. It is absolute. It is not relative to something else. It’s the reality of the matter, not necessarily what we believe, or wish to believe. You laughed because you instinctively realized that truth cannot be created. Just because I might be heavily invested in chickens, and would benefit greatly from the increased demand, does not mean I can create a “truth” that works to my advantage.
But people never cease to try. In the early days of flight an inventor was firmly convinced that the proper way for man to fly was to imitate the flight mechanics of a Canadian goose. He formed a company, and sold stock. Thousands of dollars were sunk into this company which designed and built a flying machine which imitated the flight mechanics of a goose. Yep. It didn’t work. The inventor simply could not create his own truth no matter how much he believed in it. The laws of aerodynamics simply didn’t care what he believed.
“So”, you say, “truth does change. I’ve seen it happen”. Not so. It is not subject to our beliefs even though it seems to be. In the early 1980’s marine biologists discovered an unknown species of fish deep in the Pacific. We didn’t believe that such fish existed so the truth of the matter is we created it just by looking at it right? Of course not. The truth hadn’t changed. All that had changed was our knowledge of it. Truth is revealed, not created. Right now, the hot topic is “Global warming”, but when I was in college everybody “knew” that the next Ice Age was almost upon us. Had the truth changed while I wasn’t looking? I don’t think so. The truth exists on this matter, but it just hasn’t been revealed yet. No matter which position you take on the subject, we don’t know the truth. It has not yet been revealed.
“Wait a minute”, I hear you say. “I have a right to my opinion!” Yes you do. But that doesn’t mean your opinion is right. The very word opinion means two different things. It can be an expression of taste, or it can be an expression of judgment. If you tell me, “I won’t drive anything but a Chevy”, I know that you prefer Chevys. But if you tell me, “Chevys are just built better than Fords”, you are making a statement which claims to be the truth. It is your “judgment” that having studied the matter thoroughly, you have concluded beyond any shadow of a doubt, that Chevrolet in actuality makes a better product than Ford does. Hmmmm. Do you suppose there’s just a hint of “taste” showing through here?
Here are a couple of key questions to ask yourself next time you’re about to anoint someone with your opinion.
1.
Is this an informed
opinion?
2.
Do I know enough about
this subject to make a statement of judgment, or am I just expressing my
personal preferences?
The good thing about this is that later, when more of the facts are sorted out, you can say to yourself, “Boy, am I glad I kept my mouth shut!” Over time you’ll notice that people begin to listen more carefully when you speak. They will even seek you out to get your opinion because they know it will be well thought out. One of the consequences of this is that you gain more control over your environment. And control is key to mental health. But that’s a whole different post.
Bottom line: Truth cannot be created or changed. It is not relative to a given situation. It is what it is. As we carefully gather the data, and the facts of the matter, the truth can sometimes be revealed.
If you still don’t believe me then let me leave you with this challenge. The next time you fly in a plane, or ride a motorcycle, or get up on a ladder to take down the Christmas lights, just deny the “truth” of gravity. Better yet, create your own “truth” about gravity. Have it be whatever you want it to be. Just don’t call me to pick up the pieces.
