Sunday Musings - September 11, 2022
The nature of truth
Many of us humans seem particularly fond of what we decide is “the truth”. Religious leaders, politicians, news people, those selling a product, teachers, parents or one’s next-door neighbor will gladly share their reality which they may present as “the truth”. It is not often, however, that it is “the truth”. There are, of course, occasions when most of us can agree on some shared reality. I am currently sitting in Panera’s coffee shop with a number of other people. My guess is that if I asked every person here, most, if not all, would agree this is a coffee shop which is contained in a building on 41st Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Friday, September 9 at 9:00 a.m. 2022. Some might add other descriptive adjectives which are unique to their experience of this place. On the other hand, if I asked each person to tell me which religions had the true god, if the current president is doing a good job, or to articulate a definition of justice, I would likely get a variety of opinions. Some would undoubtedly present their opinion as “the truth”.
If one tells oneself, one knows that one’s experience of reality is “the truth” one may feel one knows how to proceed in this life journey. There is often a certain comfort in thinking one “knows” what is true or right or moral. Many of us do not like the reality of uncertainly even if we “know” there is not certainly in this life journey.
Most religion leaders may attempt to comfort many with “the truth” of their God and how that god expects one to behave. The particular beliefs about what that God expects may have been formulated at a time when limited information was available. Thus, there was a time when it appeared and many believed the earth was flat; there was a limited number of sperm; certain sexual practices would waste seeds; certain social and work roles were gender specific; manhood or womanhood was contained in particular behavior; the earth was indestructible; one could pull oneself up by one’s metaphorical bootstraps; good people are successful financially; punishing humans for hurtful behavior will result in a safer community; their god will physically return to “judge the quick and the dead”; and the end justifies the means.
Most of us could create quite a long list of what we want to believe is true or correct. Just this morning I heard someone state with apparent certainty that the current president of the United States is responsible for the inflation which is destroying the budget of many on this country. I also heard it implied that all healthy people are heterosexual. Someone else suggested that the belief that climate change is caused by we humans is just plain wrong. Another person suggested that the Christian Religion is “the true religion”. Someone else suggested that Allah is the one true God.
Many of us know much of what we thought to be true at age 4, 10 or even 20 is not what we believe to be true today. Yes, we may resist allowing for the possibility that what we experience, or think is true today may be based on a very limited slice of reality. We may not yet have access to or even be open to new information which may change our view of reality.
What if “just for today” we open ourselves to the possibility that there are many possible realities; many possible ways of looking at the world or slices of the world; many opportunities to learn from those whose views are different than ours? What if “just for today” the god of our understanding is just one possibility; our way of living with Mother Nature may not be the best way; our attractions are neither right or wrong but just ours; labeling events, people, or things as good/bad, right/wrong; moral/immoral closes doors rather than opens them. What if….
Written September 11, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
The nature of truth
Many of us humans seem particularly fond of what we decide is “the truth”. Religious leaders, politicians, news people, those selling a product, teachers, parents or one’s next-door neighbor will gladly share their reality which they may present as “the truth”. It is not often, however, that it is “the truth”. There are, of course, occasions when most of us can agree on some shared reality. I am currently sitting in Panera’s coffee shop with a number of other people. My guess is that if I asked every person here, most, if not all, would agree this is a coffee shop which is contained in a building on 41st Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Friday, September 9 at 9:00 a.m. 2022. Some might add other descriptive adjectives which are unique to their experience of this place. On the other hand, if I asked each person to tell me which religions had the true god, if the current president is doing a good job, or to articulate a definition of justice, I would likely get a variety of opinions. Some would undoubtedly present their opinion as “the truth”.
If one tells oneself, one knows that one’s experience of reality is “the truth” one may feel one knows how to proceed in this life journey. There is often a certain comfort in thinking one “knows” what is true or right or moral. Many of us do not like the reality of uncertainly even if we “know” there is not certainly in this life journey.
Most religion leaders may attempt to comfort many with “the truth” of their God and how that god expects one to behave. The particular beliefs about what that God expects may have been formulated at a time when limited information was available. Thus, there was a time when it appeared and many believed the earth was flat; there was a limited number of sperm; certain sexual practices would waste seeds; certain social and work roles were gender specific; manhood or womanhood was contained in particular behavior; the earth was indestructible; one could pull oneself up by one’s metaphorical bootstraps; good people are successful financially; punishing humans for hurtful behavior will result in a safer community; their god will physically return to “judge the quick and the dead”; and the end justifies the means.
Most of us could create quite a long list of what we want to believe is true or correct. Just this morning I heard someone state with apparent certainty that the current president of the United States is responsible for the inflation which is destroying the budget of many on this country. I also heard it implied that all healthy people are heterosexual. Someone else suggested that the belief that climate change is caused by we humans is just plain wrong. Another person suggested that the Christian Religion is “the true religion”. Someone else suggested that Allah is the one true God.
Many of us know much of what we thought to be true at age 4, 10 or even 20 is not what we believe to be true today. Yes, we may resist allowing for the possibility that what we experience, or think is true today may be based on a very limited slice of reality. We may not yet have access to or even be open to new information which may change our view of reality.
What if “just for today” we open ourselves to the possibility that there are many possible realities; many possible ways of looking at the world or slices of the world; many opportunities to learn from those whose views are different than ours? What if “just for today” the god of our understanding is just one possibility; our way of living with Mother Nature may not be the best way; our attractions are neither right or wrong but just ours; labeling events, people, or things as good/bad, right/wrong; moral/immoral closes doors rather than opens them. What if….
Written September 11, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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