In the last few weeks the term “absolute truths” has been popping up everywhere in my life. This is usually a sign that I need to take a deeper look.
When I searched “define absolute truth” on the internet I was hit with the realization that there are as many people who are absolutely sure about absolute truths, and just as many who claim that there is no such thing.
It left me even more confused and definitely pensive…
Is there such a thing as an absolute truth?
The world changes from moment to moment, and the people in our lives are just as transformable.
Something that you may be honestly sure of could be completely untrue even without you knowing it – making your absolute truth an unknown lie.
So if absolute truths are such shaky entities, why are they so important to us? And are they even necessary?
When I discussed the matter with a few people, the debate seemed to not only stump them, but the idea of the complete lack of true absolute truths seemed to make them uncomfortable.
Are we so reliant on our sense of control over our lives and our fear of the unknown that we feel that we must have a firm grasp and understanding of our lives, our past, our present, our futures, and those around us … even if it is false?
Is it so hard to accept the unknown?
Socrates said, “I am wise only in that I know I do not know.”
I urge you, as I am going to do, to try to purge your fear of the unknown and accept your “un-absolute truths” as gifts and endless possibilities for wondrous changes in your life :)
* picture of Socrates bust courtesy of Wikipedia / Louvre
1 comments:
it's a little late, i know, but my philosophy professor in university defined absolute truth as "fire". Of all things! She said in any universe, in any circumstances, without context or force, fire will always burn upwards. That will not change.
She told us to consider absolute truths in that way. We were debating Socrates' Meditations at the time, and when I told her that while it is nice to pretend that the tree you're looking at may not really be there, that it obviously is. Then she called me a "niave realist" and we moved on.
Post a Comment