life, philosophy

Got Truth?

Lori

cherub 1 wmI miss the truth … the very good, the bad and the ugly of it.

Where did truth go? Is it hiding beneath the dirt, buried by those who fear it? If so, how do I dig it out? If I find where it’s buried, will the forces-that-be do something to stop me before I can expose the lie? Will they tarnish the messenger so that no one will believe the message? Does that mean I should fear telling the truth because of what liars might do or say about me?

Relative…it’s what I’m told that truth is. Perhaps it’s relative in accordance to what we believe. I would argue that if we look to simplicity, there is no relevance.

Be prepared, as I am going to describe from my perspective (in brief) the good, the bad and the ugly of truth.

The ugly part of the truth may be something like allowing a hater to speak their hate. Forcing a hater to be silent under the guise of political correctness, doesn’t change the heart of the hater. It only puts us in the presence of hate without knowing it. We never know when that hidden hate might express itself. It might be my neighbor. It might be someone standing next to me on the street at a marathon. I want to see the face of the hater. I want to know who they are so I can keep my distance. I want them to reveal their truth.

The bad part of truth may be in having to face something about ourselves, or another, that is heartbreaking. Perhaps we must admit a wrong we’ve done, or admit a flaw in ourselves that may be causing a problem in our lives. Maybe it’s too scary to admit that someone we trusted might’ve lied to us. Maybe it’s someone we love deeply, or someone we’ve supported because we believe in them, only to find out they lied. Can you imagine the pain of these lies? Yes, that’s why we hide truths.

Truth cannot conquer us. The saying is not just a cliché … truth really does set us free from the chains of deception.

Finally, the good part of truth…it doesn’t take a paragraph or any detailed explanation. Truth may seem like an unsteady, rickety bridge, but it is the only avenue to the other side, where humbling absolution and infinite peace exists.

Got truth?swng brdg wm

Published by Lori

Observer, thinker, learner, analyzer, and author. Love dogs. Enjoy cooking, laughing and spiritual centering.

22 thoughts on “Got Truth?”

  1. There is no truth. There is perspective (Flaubert) or is it perception (Nietzsche). By definition, neither definition is the truth. 🙂

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    1. Or, perhaps some would like us to perceive there is no truth, so they can get away with lying. 😉 Thanks for reading and sharing.

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    1. Hey Terri, I think it’s society, the media, the world, we don’t know who we can trust anymore. That’s why I want everything out in the open … a clean slate. Thanks for commenting. 🙂

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  3. Great post. I prefer the truth, no matter how unpalatable. Ugly truths, fine by me. Haters’ truths, fine by me. I’m only happy with the truth. I can’t stand lies of any kind and that includes lies of omission. Actually, that especially includes lies of omission. We get sold on fairytales, happy ever after and nice, but the reality is very different – there is good and bad in everything, and perpetuating untruths doesn’t change reality. The best relationships I have is where both parties have made an agreement to tell and hear the truth. But for others, the truth is, even I tell the occasional white lie, maybe to smooth things over for myself but mostly for the benefit of the recipient because, like Jack Nicholson famously said… they can’t handle the truth.

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    1. I have no idea how to lie. When I’ve tried, you can read it all over my face. Sometimes I exaggerate. I usually try to avoid speaking if it is something like trying to smooth things over for the benefit of a recipient. If it’s something like answering if I like someone’s new haircut, I try to answer in a roundabout way without saying it’s hideous. Heh. That’s as close I could get to lying. I can’t stand pretention/fake either. Thanks for sharing this, EllaDee. I can relate.

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  4. We really do have to work on being more discerning. And more people hopefully will learn to be more truthful while they’re at it. I enjoyed this, such a simple thing we’d think. 🙂

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    1. Hey Pete. Yep, truth is simple. Sometimes is seems humans can make things more complicated than necessary. Thanks so much for reading it.

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  5. Lori, I’m a bit lost in all this …. because for me the truth is always the truth. I suppose it all depends on how the lie is told; I should be able to forgive a lie if it was to protect me or somebody I care about.
    I think it’s better to say nothing than lie, if that is possible. I don’t know in what contents you referrer to lying and truth here. And I can do white lies if there is no other way out. I think we have been lying and it’s hard on us … to carry the lie … the truth will set us free, that I’m sure about.

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    1. Hi Viveka. I just don’t want people to be afraid to tell the truth. We are being lied to every day in the media. And, we’re not allowed to call a spade a spade. If we do, then we’re maligned. Why can’t I call a rose, a rose, and a slug, a slug, without being made into some sort of bigot? This is the world we live in today, at least in the U.S.

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      1. Lori, it’s not only in US … you’re lied to. Media make up their own truth as they go along at times.
        The turth can be said in many ways … all depending how it’s told to us … we will accept it too in different ways.

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  6. ‘What is truth for one might be truth for another’. But this is unsettling- we perceive that truth excludes alternatives, but we are also aware that this is offensive.

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    1. Hello, good to see someone here who enjoys philosophy. True, we perceive that truth excludes alternatives. And, being offended is also an individual perception. Sometimes, we see through the eyes of our pain. Thanks for your input.

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    1. Hey, Anneli, yes, I mentioned that some people have told me truth is relevant. I would agree to that to some extent. But, when we get down to basics (simplicity), truth is not relevant. Like you said … in some cases. Thanks for your input. Always good to see you.

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    2. I have become more and more convinced that the only way to bring them back, so to speak– if they have even really gone anywhere– is to live them consistently, determinedly, and joyfully every day.

      Just a few moments ago, I was reading about a plethora of evils plaguing the world and– as I am wont to do– becoming very worked up and discouraged about it all, but I am reminded time and time again that the only remedy for an ailing world is to live that Truth and remain detached from the result. It sounds so cliché, but Ghandi had a point when he said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

      And as I’m fond of quoting, St. Thomas Moore said, “The times are never so bad that a good man cannot live in them.”

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      1. Hi Ed! Your optimism is inspiring. I also think about the quote, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.” Sometimes, even just one brave person who speaks out for truth, like a Martin Luther King Jr., or a Rosa Parks, can change an entire society for the better. Thanks for sharing your encouraging words. It’s always good to see you here.

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