Modern scientists say that water is the most diverse element known to man. It can exist as a solid, a liquid, and a gas, and requires very little environmental change to effect these transformations. I contend that as wondrous as we may find the properties of water, the properties of the element “Truth” are far more varied and difficult to pin down. Unlike water, which exists in its various forms regardless of perspective, the many forms of “Truth” depend on the mind of the beholder. However, for the purposes of this discussion it will be useful to view Truth through the lens of elemental properties.
For example, take Truth in its solid form. I have felt some ideas so powerfully, I could no more imagine them untrue than I could credibly think concrete was soft. I have met people for whom “Truth” is as unyielding and unchanging as an actual solid. Entire religions are based on such principles, and millions (perhaps billions) of people around the world accept the premise that their religion’s Truths possess that level of solidity. Plato famously proclaimed in his Theory of Forms that there are ideas so pure and fundamental, they exist outside of human perception. Effectively, he characterized “Truth” as an external force, an independently existing “solid”.
Then we have Truth in liquid form. This occurs when the information used to determine Truth changes, or when new circumstances come to light. Or, it can also arise when a person changes his or her mind about something. If that person’s attitude was the subject of the Truth, then it now must shift with the changing perspective. Truth is also now different in the mind of the person, so in the universe defined by that person’s beliefs and history, Truth has changed. In some ways, this scenario could meld seamlessly with the earlier discussion of Truth as a solid; one could argue that the Truth has not changed, just the human perception as we gain or lose varying levels of access to the greater Truth.
Consider Truth as having the properties of a gas, however. This concept is a favorite of modern philosophers, atheists, and social anthropologists. (This is not to say that everyone in these professions ascribes to such a flexible notion of Truth, but there is something to be said for the professional leanings in that direction. However, I digress.) Sometimes Truth has all the presence and force of water vapor, invisible and without weight or substance. Some people contend that Truth is not externally defined and then sought, but rather internally defined and acted out. When enough people with similar definitions of Truth congregate, larger ideals of an archetypal Truth are born (but are not necessarily accurate). This perception requires a different mindset from the other two, because it is by necessity a big picture mindset. It requires seeing Truth as a human perception that makes us feel better about the chaotic world in which we live.
The funny thing about the different forms of Truth, is that we will never know which (if any) is correct. Those who favor the “gas” form of Truth will not accept someone’s word that Truth is a solid thing beyond our ability to affect change. Those who believe in solid Truths will not have any reason to believe in the gaseous model. The liquid is the fence-sitter, and could go either way in the discussion. The binding element- if you will pardon the pun- between all three is that each is blinded by its own biases and assumptions. The constraints that make them beliefs are also the blinders that keep those inside from seeing events objectively.
As a reader picking your way through this meandering discussion, you may wonder what the take-home message could possibly be. To me, the message is that is we believe many things, but we know nothing for sure. And yet we proceed through our daily lives assuming that we have the answers. In my opinion, the path to making this world a more tolerant (and pleasant) place begins with us being open-minded... and perhaps even humble... about our own and other people’s view of the Truth. That sounds like a worthy goal to me.
