Such a tough subject: TRUTH, especially since you’re so busy trying to find it and all.
After I’d written my first book, I was on lunch hour from my day job, just sitting in the car in the parking lot before heading back inside for the afternoon grind, when I made some blanket statement to the ethers around me that I wanted to know more TRUTH so I could write about it. I said something like this: “Please tell me more TRUTHs to write about in future books.” Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it?
To which the ‘ethers’ immediately responded back to somewhat surprised me in Jack Nicholson’s “A Few Good Men” ominous voice and vernacular: “Can you HANDLE the truth?”
At this point I paused, gulped, and said meekly aloud, “I think so…. Ah, …better get back to work.”
To this day I have no idea how Jack Nicholson got into my head (or something mimicking him), but the tone of the voice did give me a moment to reconsider whether or not I really could handle TRUTH in whatever form that it took.
This alludes to many things in life from the present to the future. TRUTH is simply TRUTH no matter what direction it heads or on whose toes it steps. TRUTH simply is. It is the one basis we have for valid decision making.
In this plane of existence I would say that we live by relative truths. And while I do believe there are such things as ABSOLUTE TRUTHS, here in Earth-plane we currently may not be capable of comprehending/accepting them. Again, that’s just my belief. It doesn’t have to be one that you share.
That same book I mentioned previously that questioned beliefs and faith, also questioned TRUTH.
The main protagonist was pretty adamant on hearing TRUTH above all else, even if the truth was unpleasant or horrifying. But then she also framed TRUTH by her beliefs, which made her AI companion somewhat skeptical on her actual ability to suddenly know something that did NOT conform to the beliefs that she based her entire existence on, knowing that it could possibly shake her mental stability.
The AI created-humanoid said something like ‘but if TRUTH destroys hope, then there is no value to TRUTH. You cannot live without HOPE.’
I thought a bit about that statement and decided that for me, believing a hopeful lie was far worse than facing an unpleasant truth no matter how devastating that TRUTH might be to my life, because if you don’t even have TRUTH to stand on, then how can you stand at all?
Again, this gets into the ‘ethics and morals’ issues of questioning the meaning of personal integrity and doing what is the right thing to do in any situation over the alternative of doing what is either easy or self-beneficial.
These are the very issues that most religions around the world have attempted to define and establish as their true ‘guiding principles for right living and the betterment of humanity.’
My opinion on the matter is this: While you are searching for what feels like TRUTH for you, be aware that there may be times when you will question your own ability to even define meaningful TRUTH. And during times like those, when you feel that ground shaking beneath you and your head is clouded with so much doubt and uncertainty, know then that TRUTH will come to you if you still yourself long enough to allow it.
Stop, breathe deeply and just BE in that moment of stillness until TRUTH arises from your inner depths, because TRUTH is your one dependable companion in this life, even if it has occasionally annoying tendencies or burps during inopportune times.
I’d still rather travel with TRUTH than with a false companion wrapped in ‘hopeful lies,’ even if he does growl at me like Jack Nicholson.
FINDING YOUR TRUTH 