“To say of what is that it is not, or of what is not that it is, is false, while to say of what is that it is, and of what is not that it is not, is true” - Aristotle
One of the biggest challenges for us in life is determining what is true or false. Daily we are bombarded with information that we are told is true. For most of us, what we perceive and then ultimately believe becomes our truth. Sophocles believed that “What people believe prevails over the truth.”
Parents, relatives, friends, teachers, doctors, scientists, academicians, clergy, politicians, journalists, bureaucrats, bankers, advertisers, real estate agents, and social media, just to name a few, assert that what they say is true. Quite frankly, it is easier to accept what we are told than to question it. At times, questioning the truth or expressing a different opinion can create ire and result in hostile partakers. We certainly have seen a lot of this recently. Sometimes just asking a question can evoke sudden anger and animosity. This reminds me of a conversation I read about between a father and his four year old daughter at a McDonalds. It went something like this:
Daddy why can’t we go out and play?
Because it’s raining?
Why?
Because the clouds in the sky are precipitating water
Why?
Because the cycle of water in the ocean when it’s hot it evaporates or something?
Why?
Well I don’t know that’s the extent of my knowledge!
Why?
Because I didn’t pay attention at school and I’m stupid!
Why?
And after some time it just gets really philosophical and abstract.
Why?
Because some things are and some are not.
Why?
Because things that aren’t cannot be!
Why?
Oh just shut up and eat your fries!
All she was seeking was the truth about why she couldn’t go out and play.
I find it fascinating that the literature points out that we see ourselves as open minded, willing to listen, clear thinkers, tolerant, and very capable of discerning truth from lies or falsity. I must be missing something because I haven’t found this to be true in the past and certainly not now. Those who disagree with us are described as ill-informed, misguided and/or mistaken. Lately, I have heard those who disagree with a purported truth are labeled as unpatriotic, racist, prevaricator, irrational, radical, left-wing, progressive, democrat, “Trumper”, criminal, profane, idiots, and even stupid. Bob Woodward in his latest book, Rage, quotes Jared Kushner in talking about key Cabinet members who disagreed with the President and either were fired or resigned from Administration as “overconfident idiots.” Rather than calling out a person for expressing an opinion or focusing on where someone might be wrong in their thought process, wouldn’t it be better to just engage a person in a rational dialogue that leaves open the possibility that I might be wrong. I remember saying to a person that what they were saying was absolutely not true and irrational. All the person heard was that I was calling him a liar and crazy. The net result was an unproductive and unconstructive dialogue. What I’ve learned from this is that truth should be constructive and flexible, while lies can be destructive and self-defeating.
The Dictionary defines truth as the property of being in accord with fact or reality. Truth is the opposite of falsity. A fact is defined as something known or proven to be true. One must remember that facts can be manipulated. A straightforward answer to reality is everything that appears to our five senses; anything we can see, touch, taste, hear and smell. What might be real to one person may be unreal to another person depending on the lenses they see through and their sense of touch and smell. This might help explain why there truth and reality are constantly questioned and challenged by theologians, scientists, scholars, philosophers, lawyers and even politicians. For example, an MIT professor/researcher is convinced she has discovered something that is indisputable and absolutely true. The professor publishes a paper in a scientific journal explaining her research and why her findings are true. Other scientists read her paper, run their own studies and are unable to invalidate her claims. So for the time being, her findings stand. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is another example of withstanding the test of time. However as Einstein, himself, is quoted as saying, “The truth of a theory can never be proven; for one never knows if future experience will contradict its conclusions.” Then you have Rudy Giuliani, the President’s infamous personal lawyer, who is quoted in Psychology Today, August 2018, as claiming “truth isn’t truth.” He doesn’t believe in waiting for the future.
Despite Mr. Giuliani’s perspective, most of us want to believe that there are some truths and we understand there are many more falsities. Just because one feels comfortable in a belief, hear it repeated over and over again, and trust that the person speaking the truth is reputable and appears credible, this should not be enough to convince a person that it is the truth even if it appeals to common sense. The expression “A lie told once remains a lie but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth” is attributed to the Nazi propagandist, Joseph Goebbels. This certainly works for those who continue to defend Third Reich “truths.” Are things true because someone said it’s true or because we have sufficient reliable facts to believe it’s true? I had a colleague once say to me that she lived in constant fear of people finding out the real truth about her. I never asked her what that was, but I certainly did wonder. The last time I heard she was a very successful General Counsel at a major university. I, personally, have known several people who were living lives based on falsities. Some were caught in their lies and lost jobs, faculty positions, friends and even marriages; others were never caught, continued to lie, and eventually their lies became their reality. Ryan Movsowitz, Radnorite, Nov. 2018, states that “truths and lies go hand in hand, so much so that they are often confused or manipulated. I was once advised to always accept compliments and/or accolades whether or not true. It is even more important when the source of the compliment or accolade is a well-respected and credible person or the media.
We find ourselves in an era of uncertainty about truth, falsity and reality. Movsowitz goes on to state that today perceptions are more and more reality. “The truth is variable, and in many cases, tends to be different for everyone.” Although the perception may not be true, it does influence a person’s view of reality. We are deluged with conflicting information about world affairs, politics, immigration, religion, COVID-19, health care, education, the environment, global warming, Black Lives Matter, White Supremacy, racial justice, crime, civil rights, poverty, homelessness, unemployment, and the economy just to name a few. Movsowitz points out that “In religion, what is true for one group may be unaccepted by other groups. In politics, alternative truths and fake news have become the order of the day. In social media and advertising, the distortion of the truth manifests itself through retouched images…”
Organizations have to deal with perceptions about management, performance evaluations, workforce diversity, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, position classifications, compensation, substance abuse, merit, inequities, workforce diversity, labor relations, progressive discipline, flexible work schedules, furloughs, layoffs, employee morale, employee turnover, and even office romances. Management, media (especially social media), politicians, labor unions, employee associations, “employee grapevines”, and customers and/or special interest groups work doggedly to either defend a perception or dispute a misperception. As the presidential debates have demonstrated, voters’ perceptions are nominally affected by a candidate’s performance in a debate. The best parties can hope for is that “fence sitters” will be swayed their way. Only time, personal experience and real life events reinforce or assuage perceptions.
To dismiss a perception as untrue rather than to keep an open mind about why this is perceived as real is a mistake. For whatever reason we tend to think we are obliged to point out where other people are wrong in their thinking, rather than engaging in rational dialogue open to the possibility that I might actually be wrong. Why is it so difficult to admit that I’m wrong and am grateful to you enlightening me? Reasonable people can agree to disagree. Unfortunately, intractable perceptions and disagreements can lead to name calling, a rush to judgment, incivility and, much worse, even violence. None of which is productive and all of which is costly.
These are truly tumultuous and stressful times for all of us - seniors, adults, Gen Xers and Yers, young adults, and children. It strains the body, mind and soul to sort through the morass and assess truth from false, trustworthy news from fake news, fact from fiction, and the plausible from hyperbole. How do we manage perceptions such as:
· The earth is flat.
· Eating meat on Friday and missing mass on Sunday are mortal sins.
· The Pope is infallible.
· Iraq has weapons of mass destruction.
· The risk of Covid-19 to Americans is low.
· Americans do not need to wear a mask to stop the spread of Covid-19.
· The virus (Covid-19) will miraculously go away when the climate warms up.
· There will be a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of the year.
· It is safe to play contact sports during the pandemic.
· No sex before sports.
· Global Warming is a myth.
· The Merit System is truly merit based.
· You must wait an hour after eating before going swimming.
· All people are equal.
· Women are not suited for science.
· A marriage is forever.
· There are only two absolute truths – Taxes and Death.
· All religions believe that there is only one life.
· Everyone needs a college degree.
· Technology makes workers more productive.
· Immigrants from Latin America are criminals, rapist, and murderers.
· Building a wall along the US Mexican border will stop illegal immigration and drug smuggling.
· Vaccines cause autism.
· Media puts out fake news.
Need I cite more or do you agree with Mark Twain when he says – “Truth is mighty and will prevail. There is nothing the matter with this, except that it ain't so.”
What does all this tell me? It tells me that we have to be open-minded; tolerant of other’s beliefs; respectful of other’s opinions; unaccepting of things just because someone or something alleges it is true; and always willing to acknowledge that I was wrong. We should never be afraid to ask questions, challenge response, think critically, be curious, and always seek the truth.
I appreciate your taking the time to read my blog and welcome your reaction and insights into what is meant by “Truth.”