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Truths about Truth

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Truths about Truth

Being clear about what we mean by truth and how we understand it, is important if we are to avoid conflict.

Syl Sabastian
Feb 26
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Truths about Truth

sylsabastian.substack.com

D: - "I think, Syl, [to] all the proponents of “my truth” mindsets, I can honestly reply, why would your truth apply to me? Why do they bother to post their truth? Are they narcissistic? If the truth doesn't exist why would someone's truth matter to anyone else?"

Syl: - It matters that it is a truth to the individual. If they are honest, then we can take that seriously. Does that truth necessarily apply to others. No. It may or may not. Thus we can Learn, we get options and perspectives and those are exceedingly valuable.

I look at bird and it reminds me how handicapped I am. That's a truth for me, but ofc may not be so to another. Truth can vary depending on where we're at, our experiences, Awareness, perspectives understandings etc.

Many things which once were deep truths to me are no longer so as I learned more, and especially as I learned to make the effort to look inside the truths of others. Often what we mistake for truth is nothing but perspective, and ofc our perspectives are inevitably incomplete.

Thus the parable of the blind men and the elephant, to each the “truth” was affected by their limited perception. This I always keep n mind and this is why you'll seldom hear me talking about truths. I feel I'd be arrogant to claim any truths. I can claim what is a truth to me. but even then, I have seen truths change way too often to claim even that. I now see everything as perspectives, much more effective and accurate, and leaves room for the inevitable updating.

Many insist on truths because they are uncomfortable with variability and crave certainty, usually a result of personal insecurity.

I prefer the accuracy of knowing that we constantly learn, and insisting on truths is akin to claiming when it comes to that particular issue we no longer need to learn. very very dangerous to me. I focus on what works. And, for me, everything is thus only as good as it lasts. When it no longer works, I can change without fuss, because I am not clinging to the myth of truth.

❤

Why it matters? Because of Sharing. When we Share, and do so honestly, we Share what's real to us, what matters to us, or, our truths. And thus, such Share is most valuable data, as it gives an insight and understanding into what goes on in others, what’s important and valuable to them, and thus we learn much which we would not be able to learn otherwise because we are different to each other and thus, we process and learn and experience etc differently. So, knowing what others regard as truths is most wonderful as it increases our understanding of the human, or sentient, condition. 

D: - "I understand what you are saying but using the right words to describe your experience is more effective in both understanding and communication. Truth has a definition as all words do. Truth is simply, the accurate definition or narration of something that exists and happened. You can make up your definition of a dog but it does change what a dog is. You can teach your children to tell the truth (but that only works if they understand the truth to be telling it as it is) Truth is not an opinion, a perspective, or something to own. Our "understanding" of the truth is the word that represents something you have, not truth. We can have an understanding of the truth or knowledge of it, but we can't own it or have a version of it, the truth is as they say, it is what it is. We can ask our children if they know the truth, or how do they understand it to be but we can't ask them what their truth is. That is a gaff in language. Yes, metaphors may be a great help for understanding and gaining knowledge. We should say this metaphor... made me look at it this way. The metaphor brought more clarity in understanding reality (things that exist). Just like there isn't your reality or mine just reality. If a teacher teaches their students how to multiply they are gaining understanding, that is knowledge, just as the metaphor taught you. The "my truth and your truth" teaches people to be less responsible for their choices because it makes it easy to justify disrespectful choices. Accurate use of language uplifts society and individuals' lives."
"The elephant metaphor is often used, but the elephant is an elephant and the blind men's understanding of that one and only truth was incomplete. The real lesson here proves this thinking of "my truth" is a poor use of language. Each person's "understanding or knowledge" was incomplete. you can't have truth for it only exists in the objective world, you can only have an understanding of what it is, but then we know our understanding grows with each new piece of evidence."

Syl: - "Each person's “understanding or knowledge" was incomplete.” - This is the crux of the issue. In the case of the elephant, we see from a perspective the blind men do not possess and ofc, their ignorance and also arrogance caused them to believe their truth was in fact the "truth." In some matters we can assert this, like in 1+1 = 2 as that is a truth that's defined to be so. But, as life teaches us if we are honest there's much much much in life which is that elephant to us.

Thus, yes, *sometimes* we can assert a truth, but, certainly not always, and since sooooo much of life is subjective, iow, subject to perspective, truth per individual varies.
Now yes, some will argue that there *IS* an objective truth, like the elephant to everything, but well, that's a lot lot harder to ascertain than we like to believe.
There are tons and tons of “truths” which were considered inviolate, like a flat earth, but ofc now we know different.
If we consider E=mC2 and come at it from m, then:
m= E/C2
Or iow, mass or matter, is energy divided by the speed of light squared, or a very large number.
To me I see that divided by as slowed down, and we know this from gas to liquid to solid that this is exactly what happens vis Brownian movement.
Thus all of matter is substantially slowed down energy, or as Einstein said all is energy.
And now suddenly our “truth” of a round world ceases to exist, as round in the context of energy isn't meaningful necessarily.
And so, to insist on truths is a tricky business.
Especially when we also consider that dividing or slowing down force is consciousness, and thus, how energy is slowed down into perception or reality is a personal and individual affair, or certainly a good argument can be made for this, and therefore truth becomes entirely subjective.
My presentation is not an insistence that this IS how things are, but simply that they easily could be this way, certainly there's much to support my perspectives, and again, it makes insisting on objective truths vastly problematic.

And also, so what, if others have different truths to me? Does it matter? It's a truth to me my beloved is exquisitely beautiful, when lol, to others...

Where's the value in insisting on absolute truths? To me, very little, kinda robs life of mystery and discovery and the fun of it all. Personally, I like a good dose of variability to my realities.

😛 😃 heart

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