More thoughts on Truth

Tell all the Truth but tell it slant –
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise

As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind –

Emily Dickinson

We are deceptive by nature. Most people easily alter a story to project a better personal image, to protect the listener or simply to get away with deceiving others. We tell lies to small children, exaggerating the consequences of bad behaviour, pushing them to believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny and trying to protect them from bad news and death. Young children tend to be truthful as are some adults who lack or ignore their frontal lobe filters. Bluntly stated truth can be unsettling and socially inappropriate. One of my daughters, at the age of five or six, innocently asked me in a loudly projected voice at the grocery store, "Is that person fat?" We cringe and laugh at memories like this!

Emily Dickinson understood the impact of revealing too much truth at once. In her poem, she wrote,

 "Tell the truth but tell it slant- success in Circuit lies...

The Truth must dazzle gradually

Or every man be blind-" 

Truth can be blinding so we become adept at telling partial truths, even deceiving ourselves as we ignore obvious evidence relating to our personal situation. 

Moral truths can be shared in the telling of fictional stories. Every culture has legends, parables and historical stories that illustrate societal and spiritual truths. Jesus taught spiritual truths effectively using parables as did other prophets in the Old Testament. To this day, people debate the meaning of some of the more obscure parables demonstrating that truth is not always easy to understand. Problems arise when people try to make the entire Bible into a book of literal scientific and historical facts rather than a spiritual guidebook and description of God's relationship with humankind.

Emotions, life experiences, and cultural differences affect how we perceive truth. One person's parent may be their best friend and another's parent their worst abuser. "Parents are trustworthy, caring and keep us safe," is not a truth that all people share. Anxiety, fear and delusional thinking may keep the truth from being recognized.  I know people who see the world in black and white, right and wrong, who are always looking for the correct, concrete answer to dilemmas in their lives. Artificial intelligence may be able to scrape facts and concrete truths, but humans, with their physical, emotional and spiritual sides are nuanced, layered and hued. We may never find proof for everything we believe, but faith is the assurance that there is evidence for things hoped for but not yet seen. 

Is the truth worth pursuing?  Absolutely! We must seek truth diligently and responsibly. It is important to listen to the stories and perspectives of others as we cannot assume to have all the answers ourselves. When there is truth to be spoken and shared, it is important to speak the truth with love and respect. Deceiving others, even in jest is hurtful as the victim becomes the one who is mocked for believing a lie. There should always be room for respectful debate when there is a disagreement. We do not win people to our way of thinking by attacking their beliefs. 

A few weeks ago my daughter and I signed up for a free iPhone photography lesson at our local Apple Store. (highly recommended btw), The instructor asked if he could take a picture of my face to demonstrate the various modes available for the camera. Like most people in their upper-middle 60s, I remember my face as it was in my upper-middle 40s. The details captured by a high-definition camera are too truthful. I almost refused but agreed to see my unfiltered face blown up on a large screen. Yes, the truth hurts sometimes! But I am thankful for the years I have had to learn and grow in knowledge and truth and want to keep pursuing wisdom as long as my years allow.