Truth…..ah, the word of the day. It has been human nature to seek truth since it dawned on us we were going to die one day, and had no idea why, or where we would go. This may seem like an unlikely direction to take this, but I believe that the search for truth has been one of understanding, and the most crucial thing to understand is our place in the universe.
Language developed, speech improved, but there was language long before we had a system of writing, or even a rudimentary vocabulary. We spoke through music, through art. One may not think these are ‘languages’, but if so they merely have not learned to speak it. Subtle languages like painting convey the deeper meaning of our lives, and tell us far more than any vocabulary class.
The language of religions attempted to reconcile the ‘knowing’ with the ‘learning’, a process that over several thousand years has brought as much misery as it has ecstasy. Over time, rather than revere the beauty of God, we turned to fear the fiery wrath of evil. This attempt to switch from expression to written word, and turn it into a belief system, was more than successful; it grabbed people on a subconscious level, and the belief that someone else knows better than us was already in our genetics. We are predisposed just as any other ape to follow the alpha male- and the alpha was the one who was the most convincing, not the one with the most Truth. From the beginning of society, there have been people who are well aware that human beings are easily controlled if one claims to have the “truth”, and this appeals to our inner desire to know. Why spend a lifetime seeking to understand the world, when we can just have it preached to us each week? It’s not the fault of the people, it is just a condition of consciousness. We can only know so much, and the rest is filled in by others. This is how it has always been, no man or woman can confirm everything they claim to know. We have to trust in others.
Interestingly enough, the language of mathematics was only recently discovered. We could count, we could add, but until algebra and geometry came into the picture we were blind to the language of the universe, or one of them at least. In modern physics we are finding that these formulas can explain far more than we could ever observe, which tells us that mathematics is not a human creation- it is a discovery of a formula woven within the fabric of the cosmos.
Of course, the only reason we were able to discover this language of math was with the help of the scientific method, which forces us to use our own observations and experiments to find the truth around us. In past centuries, calculations would often dispute what the church believed to be true. Because of this they were often ignored at best, or the mathematicians imprisoned or executed at worst. This was also true for astronomers, as in the well-known case of Copernicus and Galileo. Both had their books banned, as was common practice in the 16th and 17th centuries. Copernicus believed in the heliocentric model of the solar system, but the church did not recognize this for over 200 years, and this is merely one of hundreds of stories and great teachers that were silenced for fear of the church losing ground with their inquisition. He was ordered to Rome to be punished, and his books were kept out of print. Imagine how many were lost to time we never learned about?
The intention here is not to insult or ridicule religion- but to show that those primal circuits of fear lead us to question our own mortality, and that fear is eased by the belief in an afterlife. Whether or not there is an afterlife remains irrelevant, as what we do know is that many millions have been killed directly or indirectly by our beliefs, as letting go of these means letting down our guard. When we are on the defensive, we fail to listen even to the most rational, well thought out discussions. We become blind to truth. It is the author’s belief that we need something for security in our lives. There is nothing wrong with belief, and I find it as natural as breathing. That said, it is when our beliefs become ‘territorial’ that we have a problem, and this is almost always the case. This can be physical territory- bit also can be mental. We do not want others invading the land of our thoughts.
The territorial circuit in our minds is subconscious, and in order to realize that we have to be very open and honest with ourselves. For many people this is not an option. Confronting someone because we believe they are incorrect in their beliefs goes nowhere, as those primal circuits are activated the moment we tell someone they are wrong. It is a difficult hurdle to overcome, which is why the best conversations plant a seed, but never, ever condescend or insult. I see more of this in the modern day, but I also know it has always been here. The philosophers of old, they risked their lives to tell the truth as they saw it. Scientists of the day were persecuted, imprisoned, ridiculed and put to death. They risked their lives not for family, friends or loved ones- but for TRUTH. As they saw it anyway. And this is an important point, because many people have been executed or imprisoned to protect a belief that turned out to be wrong a hundred years later. It’s not just religion- science has dogma as well, and this comes with a price. The 60’s movement toward peace in the world was based on their own ‘truth’, and each person had their own idea of what the end result should be in a Utopian Society. There is always someone with a better idea, but to put them into action is a different story.
A few of the things we believe we know the Truth about are:
-Belief in which God is real
-What is the best form of government
-Whether humans are warming the planet
-How to proceed to the future as a planet
-Whether to use fossil fuels or renewables
-Who is telling us the truth.
This last one is crucial. Who is telling us the truth anyway? Most of us like to think we are the masters of our own mind. We think we make choices, and decide what to believe. To what extent is this realistic?
From the time we are born, we are being suggested along. When to eat, what is right and wrong, what life is all about, whether people are kind or not. We grow up as a black in an all-white community, or a white in an all-black community. A Jew in Palestine, or a Muslim in Israel. Each of these extremes shape who we are, how we feel about others, and what has led us to happiness in our lives. We grasp onto anything that works, and discard that which does not suit us. (Confirmation Bias) We may shift our politics on a whim, after learning something we were not aware of. People change religions every day, while others completely turn their lives around after a near death experience. ALL of these things shape our psyche, and this means finding the Truth, as simple as it may seem, is more than what we think we know.
When it comes to our life experiences and how they shape opinion, we can see how we lead ourselves to believe in Truths when they are coming from others. In Aristotelian philosophy, there is are 3 components to the value of a person’s argument:
“Ethos”; Ethos uses trust, and focuses first on the speaker, showing the speaker as a person of integrity and good character.
“Pathos”; Pathos appeals to the emotions of the listener, seeking to excite them or otherwise arouse their interest.
“Logos”; Logos focuses first on the argument, using cool logic and rational explanation, as well as demonstrable evidence.
Understanding how people persuade us can show us a lot about how we think. Moreover, it can help show where we may be flawed in our thinking. At this juncture, you may be asking yourself “what does all this have to do with Truth?” Well I can assure you that in a day where the internet is in most homes, information is available to anyone who takes the time to seek it, and we are more connected than ever before……. We have less faith in what others tell us than ever before in history. Many have been duped into thinking that everything must be a lie, even the most basic stories on the news. What does this tell us? It tells me that while there are still many critical thinkers in the world, those who operate on the lower levels of thought, those who have not learned critical thinking, will be deluded by anyone who tells them what they want to hear, and anyone who disagrees must be a shill or a liar.
Truth is not always comfortable. Truth has no beliefs itself, and does not care what you believe.
That said, while there is indeed an objective truth about the world, our subjective views are shaped by our past experiences and desires. Each is unique. We perceive what we have learned to decipher, therefore if we see a ball, we know it is a ball. When it comes to more obscure matters, such as where did we come from? Where are we going? What does it mean to be human? Those are a little more difficult to tackle, and so far, nobody has been convincing enough to know the truth as everyone sees it.
Confirmation bias is everywhere. Liars are everywhere. Charlatans are around every corner. On top of the millions of people who willingly lie to you in order to get your money, there are millions more who think they are telling the truth, but have deluded themselves into believing they have the one answer to your problem. We choose to believe them and we choose how well to research something before making an assumption. We also have to realize that some things just cannot be known for sure. As a US citizen in the 21st century, I am pretty sure that there was an Ottoman Empire. I am pretty sure that there is indeed a country called France across the ocean. I believe that the moon is real, and the Earth is round. Have I been to France? No. Been to space? No. Could I ever confirm there were any empires in the past beyond what exists today? Of course not. But I can piece together what I learn and weigh the evidence. The biggest lies are told by those seeking energy, and in the modern world energy comes in the form of meal tickets.
Using this idea one can weigh the truth about something with what the person has to gain. If they tell you they have a machine that makes cupcakes, you can be rather sure it might be true. Even if it isn’t, it harms nobody to believe it. If they tell you they have a machine that will cure your cancer for $59, then there may be reason to suspect. Regardless of what we think we know, we are at the mercy of what we have learned and those before us have learned. So when seeking the Truth, ask yourself first and foremost if it even matters. If it does matter, then weigh the evidence. Set aside all bias, look from a new perspective. Seek our literature refuting it, seek out every angle, even the most extreme cases of bias. Seeking Truth means setting aside belief. This is a challenge we all must face if we are to have a future where people can begin trusting one another again. We must punish and demean those who do lie, and boycott businesses that make false claims, It is up to us, the consumer, the individuals, to begin telling each other the truth not for profit, but for the sake of a better understanding and a future where we can live in harmony.
Lies are not always intentional. Many are merely repeated over and over until they are believed. We must start over on many fronts, but that does not discount what we do know, the language of art, the language of music, and the language of mathematics. To come full circle here, these languages cannot lie without being noticed. They cannot be falsified, or ruin a person. What you see, or hear, is what you get. We must re-learn the language of the Earth we live on, and the universe which contains it. While most of us will never be mathematicians, we are fortunate enough to have the hardware if we so choose to pursue it.
With art and music however, even the most novice human being can learn to speak in no time. For this, I urge all reading this to take up any form of art, if you do not already. With this language, you can learn to distinguish the truth from the lies. You will see patterns emerge you never could have imagined. It may be a pipe dream to imagine a world of artists, but how many artists do you know that are mean spirited? Liars? Thieves? It is my belief that these Truths through art teach us Truths about life, and we see them reflected in the balance of colors, the septenary of notes, the reflection of scales….. and the beating heart of each one of us.
Truth is not in the eye of the beholder; it is in the Heart.
-Carpo
VERY well said! i'm an artist too and a truther! following