Truth

I’ve been thinking a lot about truth today and how there is no such thing in today’s society.  As we all struggle to make sense of COVID 19, we are having to decide whose truth to believe.  And while I agree in part that we all have our own truth, there must be some universal truths on which a society can be founded.  Without that common acceptance of what is true, the grounding falls apart and society collapses.  Perhaps that is the state that we are rapidly approaching.

It is of particular interest to watch Donald Trump at this time of uncertainty.  He says something on a Tuesday, in full press or on Twitter, and denies it on Wednesday.  He lies every day, and there are no consequences.  How does this happen?  How is it that a world leader can say things that are bare lies, of which there is evidence to the contrary, and he is not challenged or removed?  It’s not the first time in history that this has happened.  In a place and time where it is accepted to see your own truth, you can join together with others who see the truth as you do, and together, you create power behind that truth.  Once a group has power and can create fear in those who disagree with that truth, there are no bounds to what that group can do.

What is truth?  How do we know what is true?  Take COVID 19.  It is new.  The human species has never experienced it before.  There is research being done.  There is anecdotal evidence.  There is past experience with other pandemics.  There are religious beliefs.  With so many different truths, from so many different sources, how can we sort through the information to discern what is true?  There was a time when religion held so much power that no one would lie because they would fear repercussions from a vengeful god.  This is the reasoning behind swearing on a bible “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth so help me God.”  I feel that that oath means a lot less than it used to.  After religion came science.  Science has to be true.  It is based on the scientific method which is unbiased, objective and fact based.  People put their faith into science to provide all the answers.  However, any system can be corrupted.  One only has to look at the questions that are asked or the projects that get funded to see the inherent bias that can appear.  There are so many stories of scientists who pursued pure science only to come up with answers that a government or an industry didn’t like, and suddenly their funding disappeared, or their credibility was destroyed, or in extreme cases, they find themselves in prison or dead.

In searching for truth, we ask questions.  Questioning is not the enemy.  Challenging truth with intellect and consideration is the foundation of knowledge.  Without questioning what is known, there would be no growth.  Questioning comes from a place of hope, an interest in finding truth, a sharing of knowledge.  A good question can create a shift in thinking that allows exploration of something previously unthought of.  A good question can open the door to sought after answers and missing information.  It is unfortunate that we have come to a time and place where questions are perceived as threats and exploration is unwelcome.  So much has been built around a set of beliefs that to question those beliefs and to suggest that is possible to live a different way is to threaten the power of those who control the narrative. 

So, where can we find truth because without truth, there can be no trust.  Without truth, there can be no true knowledge.  Without trust and knowledge, we are left with a sense of suppression, depression and desperation.  The consequences of such a state are devastating. Society falls apart until a new truth can be established.  I guess the question I ask now is what do we want that new truth to be?