Are You Seeking?

Truth. This five letter word can create, destroy, empower, weaken and change everything you ever thought. Some days, it seems fundamental that truth is the root of virtue, joy, love and freedom. But other times, it seems like truth itself is a binding, confining idea, let alone the implications resulting from it.What is truth? Where does it come from? Why does it matter? In all honesty, I don't ever think we'll be able to fully answer these questions. In spite of this, my desire to function in this world as the best individual I can continues to focus on this subject with undying resolve. I've started to wonder what is really true...

The problem with the way that truth is viewed today is there is on longer an assumption of that whatever is said to be true is actually true in every situation at all times. While I'm not saying some things aren't relative to our personal perspective, I am saying there must be some absolute, undeniable facts and realities that exist without debate. The dilemma here is, not only can we not seem to get our head around an idea of truth, but even things like reality and words like true are sometimes outside our grasp of comprehension. However, I don't think this can excuse us, the most intelligent beings on earth, from at least trying to understand a core subject of our humanity.

The first important truth about truth is based around the way we tell the truth. Now don't get too confused here. In a testimony for a trial, the witness promises to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. This means that there is such a thing as an incomplete truth, as well as something that is not the truth. In order for something to be true, it must be completely explained and thought through. Leaving out a single detail leaves the door open to misinterpretation of what is said and therefore, could cause something meant to be true, to actually become false. This is assuming that there is such a thing as false, since telling something other than the truth is also not allowed. The conclusion in this is that we have now defined two basic ideas about truth.

First, it can be misunderstood.

Second, it has an opposite.

Everything in our world, from light and dark to rocks and water, has an counter force or object that helps to define it. Truth is the same way. We can discover what truth is because we know what it is to lie. We can tell when things are false or "untrue." We know what happens when someone gets the wrong picture of a situation because they've been lied to. From my understanding of lies, I've come to the conclusion that every lie ultimately produces some form of fear. If you lie to your mother about whether you stole a cookie from the cookie jar, you become afraid that she might discover that you did. More presently applicable to college life, if you lie about cheating on a test, you begin to fear that the teacher will be able to tell and then the consequences should such an event occur. Lies also ultimately lead to guilt and guilt is destroyer of joy. Once joy is gone in your life, little else makes sense...
So, the opposite of invalid is something valid. Otherwise known as, something true. Truth then, has a few implications of its own. If lies bring fear, then truth brings freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from injustice. Freedom from disrespect. Freedom from hate. Freedom from a life controlled by the worry that someone, someday will discover the lies we've told and use them to destroy us and steal our joy.

Hope now remains. Hope that truth can be a reality. That seeking truth doesn't have to be left to the idealistic, naive individuals who simply want world peace and everyone to get along. The truth isn't always east, but it is good. It's not always clear, but its worth searching for. Are you personally seeking truth? Because the resulting joy from discovery is worth the effort.

Link accompanying Post:
-Interesting Perspective... Comment what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp8HsAJyCU0