What is TRUTH?

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Permalink Reply by Sage McGreen on July 28, 2009 at 8:34am

Truth is flavored by our perspective making it subjective and easy to swallow. My favorite way to taste the truth is with a chocolate fondue - dipped in sweetness. It helps me cope.

In a diverse group, I'm sure to load up my plate of truth with everything on the buffet bar. This way I don't miss any yummy combinations of insight.

Do these thoughts on truth make me look fat?
Don't answer that.

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Permalink Reply by Deanna Sipe on July 28, 2009 at 4:11pm

Sage you are a riot! You make me laugh. Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Bill Bean on July 28, 2009 at 9:33am

I would have guessed this question would have stirred up a classic debate. Apparently, people are either weary or leery of the argument. Certainly not a light hearted topic.

My feeling is that you can't change the meaning of the word to be what you want it to be. Standard definition asserts that for something to be true means that it conforms to reality or actuality.

The arguments tend to circle around the issues of absolute truth and who gets to determine what that is, and whether or not my own experience determines what is effectively true for me. (e.g. my beliefs) Can I force my truth on you?

Is truth culturally determined? What about the meaning of 'good' or 'beauty'?

Good luck sorting this one out.

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Permalink Reply by Sage McGreen on August 12, 2009 at 8:29am

My light hearted comments are examples of truth in advertising, always flavored up before offered to a targeted market. You can't force your truth on me, but try selling it. I might buy into your idea of what truth is.

Remember Galileo was imprisoned for publishing the heliocentric truth because it wasn’t Roman Catholic flavored.

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Permalink Reply by Tim Piazza on July 28, 2009 at 12:34pm

I think it is difficult to have a conversation about "what is truth" without sounding somewhat uneducated, because there is always going to be someone who has studied under a scholar who focuses on the subject, and then the scholars themselves, who may well disagree with each other based on one theory or another.

For example, I would say that the matter of "truth" falls squarely under the larger topic of Ethics. Popular contemporary thinkers in this field include students of Lawrence Kohlberg who created a theory describing 5 stages of moral development, and students of Carol Gilligan who showed that Kohlberg's hierarchy of moral development is seriously flawed because it doesn't work when applied to women. The reason for the difference may be cognitive, biological, or cultural, but all of this goes even deeper into theory. The point is, at least within the context of their theories, they may both be at least partially right. Having studied their theories briefly as a student, my understanding of "what is truth" is very subjective and contextual. Given one example, we might easily agree on what truth is but given another, some of us will likely disagree.

To the Buddhist, all of this is needless because the only truth that exists is that which remains once you have removed all context. Those who properly understand the statement "nothing is true" have been enlightened.

As Mr. Bean stated "for something to be true means it conforms to reality or actuality". But what is real or actual? Go back to Plato's Republic and read "The Allegory of the Cave" and it will be immediately clear that none of us can say with certainty what is real or actual.

I spent no small part of my youth wrestling with questions like this. It probably diverted me toward a path of education rather than hooliganism. In my mind, the Buddhist answer is by far the best. Truth is inherent in the embrace of nothingness.

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Permalink Reply by Robby Slaughter on July 29, 2009 at 10:49pm

I was going to say exactly the same thing! I promise.

I'll offer this: a truth is a non-falsifiable claim which we choose to accept as if it were fact in order to make our worldview consistent.

For example, I could tell you that I had read Carol Gilligan and it's hogwash. Now, secretly, that's not true, I've never even heard of Carol Gilligan and am humbled by Tim's obscure philosophical references. But if I hadn't told you that, you can't prove either way if I'd actually knew about Carol Gilligan. And it's important for your perception of me as an honest person that you trust that I am telling the truth on this and in all other claims.

That's my definition of truth.

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Permalink Reply by Kirk Booher on August 12, 2009 at 12:53pm

I can follow that, mostly.

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Permalink Reply by Deanna Sipe on July 29, 2009 at 4:31am

Truth is a relative term. Many people believe 100% in "X", (What ever that variable might be) and they are telling the 'truth' for them but it might prove to be less than true for you or I. Absolute truth? Isn't that death and taxes? Oh no, sorry that's just a guarantee. Maybe the only truth is 'I think therefore I am." Hmmm now that I think about it that is just a theory anyway right?

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Permalink Reply by Scott Emmett on July 29, 2009 at 8:12am

John 17:17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Herndon on July 30, 2009 at 9:53pm

There you go, something that has some support behind it instead of just someone's uncorroborated thoughts.

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Permalink Reply by Arik Flanders on July 29, 2009 at 9:30am

You can't handle the truth!

-Somebody had to say it.

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Permalink Reply by Jack Shepler on July 29, 2009 at 10:57am

Truth is dependent on perception.

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