Let’s talk about truth

Quid est veritas? If you have read enough of my articles, you probably already know that I write for the individual. I try to avoid phrases like “society needs to _____”, or “people need to ____”. I try to write in a way that applies to each person as an individual, but would still benefit a group if each person were to apply my suggestions.

 

The topic of truth is no exception. I am going to explain a mentality I have adopted over the years, and talk about how I have benefitted from it. Maybe you can as well.

 

A lot of people seem to get very defensive very quickly when their beliefs are challenged. This is particularly true of religion and politics. People have very strong opinions about things and defenses go higher than the questions raised. I have seen people get verbally attacked for simply asking why someone believes certain things.

 

Other symptoms of this include the countless posts, memes, and articles that mock and belittle a group that holds a different belief or opinion. There is no conversation to be had because, clearly, those people are incredibly stupid for believing what they do, and deserve to be ridiculed. Now, one could probably write a thesis on why people react this way, but I believe that the common denominator in each person is the rejection of the possibility of being wrong.

 

So, after doing some research and coming up short, I’m going to make up my own name for my outlook on life. I am calling myself a Non-Committal Observer of Evidence.

 

Basically, this means that I have stopped believing that I am right about anything. This does not mean in the slightest that I don’t have my own beliefs and opinions. Far from it. I feel very strongly about certain things, and have held certain beliefs my entire life. The difference is that I always try to be open to new evidence that I was not previously aware of. I am constantly questioning and re-evaluating things in my life, looking for flaws in my own logic and seeking different perspectives. If I am wrong, I want to know it so I can know the truth. I believe that truth is real and concrete, and it is attainable, but I also believe that it is dangerous to assume that I have found the truth, or at least all of it.

 

A side effect of this mentality is that it completely changes how I discuss things with people. I may very rarely tell someone that they are wrong, but when I do, I hear a voice in the back of my mind going, “are you sure about that?” Yes, I believe that truth is concrete, but what authority do I have to assume I know what that truth is?

 

The answer to that question is evidence. It’s literally all I have to go on. You believe what you do because of the evidence that you have observed, and so do I. This means that, as I am discussing any given topic, I can only present the evidence that supports my belief. If you don’t accept that evidence, or you present stronger evidence, it does me no good to insist that I am right. My belief doesn’t make you wrong, and vice versa. Also, if I try to convince you that I’m right and you don’t believe me, it doesn’t make me wrong. Truth is truth, whether I believe it or not. My goal is to discover that truth.

 

One of the many benefits of adopting this mentality is that I can discuss just about anything with someone and not feel like my beliefs are being threatened. My focus is not on retaining my beliefs, so if I hear evidence that I’m wrong, I get a little excited. Now I get to go off and mull over this new information and see if it’s something I should incorporate into my little black book of beliefs. Now, that’s not to say that I believe everything I hear. Quite the contrary. Most arguments I hear on any given subject are points I’ve already thought of or read somewhere and have spent time evaluating the evidence. But, again, it’s just evidence.

 

At the end of the day, I care more about people than what they believe. I will not let a trivial argument interfere with a friendship. I much prefer to remain neutral on certain subjects, and when asked for my opinion, I will present my observations and analysis within the context of the lens through which I see the world. This is how I see it, no pressure on you to put on my glasses.

 

I have changed my opinions on many things over the years, and I will continue to change and explore. By adding a question mark to the end of each belief, I am able to keep an open mind and open ear.

 

I encourage you to do the same.

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