Date: 9/23/2002 11:09:00 AM
From Authorid: 24924
Yes, each person seeks truth according to their OWN reasoning. Not everyone can understand that statement. Ones reasoning and logic; perception; is formed and or influenced by those "LAYERS" (years of influence by parental teachings, family; religion, life experiences) and what I have learned is that much later on in life, one can find out that what they were taught....or what they THOUGHT was the truth....in reality, WASN'T. This applies to SOME areas; not ALL. Striving for truthfulness has always been a high priority in my life, but since reading the writings of and discussions on truthfulness by Ghandi, Gora, Thomas Paine, Joseph Lewis and Ingersoll, I've been deeply moved, and my commitment is to placing an even greater value on truthfulness; it gives me a sense of personal dignity. Of course, many people don't consider truthfulness as a precondition of life; and one need only observe the religious as an example. I recall when I was a little girl growing up in the church, and at these "testimony meetings", people would take turns standing up and emotionally 'bearing testimony", pouring their hearts out as to why they are convinced of the truthfulness of their church, beliefs, and all. Chirldren from the age of 8-12, when they are baptized, are encouraged to do this. They are praised, given all kinds of positive reinforcement and reward for standing up and professing belief in something they couldn't possibly have a comprehension of! To me, the will to truth is to ACCEPT reality. I believe this makes you stronger. It is almost a test of strength to see just how much truth you are willing to accept. An argument can be made that our long time survival as a species depends on us accepting the truth. I would like to expound on that later if you wish. Truth is much more interesting than falsehood. The universe is a wonderful, amazing thing, and I want to learn as much as I can in my SHORT time on this planet. The desire for truth, in this sense, comes from a natural curiosity.  |
19342 Category:(Discussion) Created:(7/25/2002 3:29:00 PM)