The theme of this chapter - truth is discovered, not created.
In recent years, we have been taught that everyone should have their own ideas, which has become a fashion. The saying goes that everyone is creating their own truth, and your truth may not be mine. The meaning of this statement is that this is a free world, and I can believe what I want, so this statement becomes anything that anyone believes to be true because they believe it is true.
But in fact, anyone can make mistakes.
Truth is discovered, not created. It is what it is, and truth does not depend on our recognition of it, nor does it change because of our ignorance or wishful thinking.
Smoking is not harmless to our health just because we enjoy it.
Are there really aliens driving UFOs?
Has the basketball player already exceeded the time limit before shooting?
How does gravity work?
Who stole your car wheel cover?"
These are all truths, truths that have been determined and discovered by us, not changed by our wishful thinking. It is what it is.
Are there really aliens driving UFOs? Although many people are discussing this matter and making affirmative statements to express the truth, there is still not enough evidence to say that we know the truth about UFOs. However, this does not mean that there is no truth about them, or that it is equally correct to affirm or deny their existence. This means that whatever the truth may be, we have not yet grasped it."
Why are our ideas often not the truth?#
Where do our ideas come from?#
In our childhood, we have to rely on others' information in terms of physiology, emotions, and intelligence. For example, when we ask our parents about something, we unconsciously accept their answers and take them as the foundation of our beliefs.
Before we observe the world, we are told how the world is. When experiencing most things, we imagine them first, and unless education makes us aware of this, our concepts will deeply control the entire perception process. You may have heard the saying, "Seeing is believing." The opposite is also true - believing is seeing. To some extent, our views, which we consider as our unique perspectives, bear the imprint of others' thoughts and beliefs."
In other words, a person's world is shaped by what they believe.
Imperfect perception#
Perception is inevitably flawed, as it is influenced by our desires, interests, and expectations: perception is selective from the beginning and simplifies the world around us. Memory accelerates this process.
When we take an exam and encounter a question that tests our knowledge, we confidently fill in the answers, but when the results come out, we may find that our perception was incorrect. This is when we may realize that our previous perception was completely wrong.
Imperfect memory#
Even if our perception may initially be correct, our memory often distorts. We often forget the details of past events, and when we try to recall what happened, we may fill in the blanks with imagination. Although we initially recognize this as a reconstruction of "our own version of the facts," later on, we accept this as our perceived reality.
Flawed information#
To a large extent, the quality of information depends on the quality of the information that supports it. And now, much of the information we receive is a product of censorship, where only a part of the facts is transmitted as information. As a result, we only see a part of the facts and start to react. However, on one hand, this information is not the complete truth. On the other hand, the source of this information may also be incorrect.
The world is changing rapidly, and whether we accept it or not, the information we receive every day is always flawed.
Even smart people make mistakes#
Often, what is considered truth by the most respected minds on one day is later proven to be wrong. There is no doubt that you know some examples of this. In the early 17th century, when Galileo believed that the sun was the center of our solar system, he was accused of heresy, imprisoned, and forced to declare his mistake. The "truth" accepted by every great scientist at that time was that the Earth was the center of the solar system.
Film authorities were convinced that they were familiar with all the films starring the late Charlie Chaplin. However, in 1982, a previously unknown film was discovered in the British Film Archive.
For a long time, surgeons used to apply talcum powder to rubber gloves during surgery. Then they discovered that it could be toxic. So they turned to starch, only to find that it could also be toxic to patients.
Let's review:
- Our thoughts and beliefs are inevitably influenced by others.
- Our perception and memory are imperfect.
- Our information may be inaccurate and incomplete.
The reasonable truth is: something is what it is, regardless of human will.