Moderation
When I began this blog two months ago it was for the purpose of exposing flawed thinking in my immediate surroundings, that is, the US.
I had not anticipated readership in other places on the planet.
Being unable to sleep last night because of this, I wondered if I should moderate my ‘rant’ to consider whether there are “relative” truths and “absolute” truths. My intention was not to turn my writing into philosophy but to the exposition of major decisions that are based on inaccurate or insufficient data.
More than fifty years ago I read a significant book, “An Introduction to Scientific Research” by E. Bright Wilson. In it he gave various examples of flawed conclusions.
One of my favorites was:
“The results of the experiment were inconclusive.
One chicken died, one chicken lived but the third got away.”
This is an excellent book if a person is truly interested in searching for truth.
I consider my books to be friends and this is a lost friend. My advice is do not loan out significant books. They seldom come home.
Back to the point.
By posting my articles I have found that, through the comments that have been offerred by others, my mind has collided with some truly great thinkers from around the world.
This has caused me to consider ideologies other than those which apply directly to me.
I have avoided political and religious issues because the bases of these cannot be proven therefore I leave them untouched.
It is obvious that when parents compare their children they can say, “My son is taller than your son.” That is easily provable.
However, when one says, “My son is more intelligent than yours”, that is not so easily proven. The first child may bring a report card home from school covered with “A’s” while the other only achieves “C’s”.
It would appear that the first child is the more intelligent but his grades may have been achieved by sheer persistence or even possibly by favoritism by the teacher.
The latter child may be bored with the material being presented and so ignores it. Instead he may be shaping in his mind the destiny of his country or the entire planet.
No one wants to be wrong. It is an unpleasant feeling.
Whenever a person changes direction it implies that he had originally made poor choices, that is, he has admitted that he had acted on wrong or insufficient information.
I responded with a comment on another Blog with regard to meditation. (http://www.writtenvoice.com)
“What is static has proven itself to be safe. When we move, we move into uncertain territory. This causes if not fear, apprehension.
The mind is satisfied with its present state. It too feels safe and rejects change.
Meditation brings about change and this is why many people have difficulty meditating. The mind will not let them. The mind is afraid of change because it will no longer be the same mind. It takes on a new identity.”
So change can imply that previously held views were incorrect.
My earlier postings stressed making decisions based not on opinion but on fact. However, opinions must come first. Without an opinion a person simply accepts the “status quo”. They do not look for alternatives therefore they cannot determine the truth.
The truth is tested by the scientific method-cause and effect.
Neither political, economic nor religious systems can be compared as there is no possibility of evaluating them.
If one asks which is the better system they have to ask, “Better for the individual, the country or the planet?”
This opens the argument again to opinion.
How is “better” defined?
This post will be followed soon with another that considers more of a “world view” than my personal experience.
To be very honest, truth gives me problems. Not truth itself, if you can find it, but rather the human perception of truth.
At 75 I’m beginning to believe there is no truth whatsoever, barring the immediate moment. What was true an hour ago, a day or month ago, years ago may not be true today. The realms of politics and religion hardly ever tell the truth either from not knowing, pointedly lying or gross exaggeration..
Many criminal convictions are now being overturned because of the “truth” as we know it today, maybe not the “truth” tomorrow, but for today it is.
The whole problem being that the definition of truth is a very personal thing. We see truth through our limited perception. That perception maybe so biased that the actual “truth” is completely overshadowed with our own prejudices. I’m not talking about any racial or physiological biases but small unperceived biases that exist in each one of us.
There are always special case truths such as up and done but these “truths” are limited to a special place. Asking someone to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is pointless because you are asking someone to tell you their perceptions “through the looking glass”. That “looking glass” maybe so cracked, colored and distorted that any recollection to what actually occurred is only a fragment of reality mixed in with all that the observers mind fills in. I’m not saying that they are lying. They may be, but probably not, if the subject is of no hindrance or benefit to the observer.
Considering the current divorce rate, even the “I love you” is only good for right now.
The ironic joke is that if you were asked on an employment interview, “Do you lie”, and you actually told the truth you’d never be hired. We interpret that question in our own minds as, “Do you lie consistently” and of course we answer no!
Most have heard about Diogenes the Cynic. He searched all of Greece for an honest person. Well, guys and gals, trust me, he’s still look’en, and that’s the truth!!
Incredible insight!
This proves my point, there are still “great thinkers” out there in the world.
Perhaps in that is our salvation.
Thank you for your comments.
I love this post. You have described the path to your question so vivid, that I enjoyed every sentence of it.
Yes, maybe there are local optimized truth and I am looking forward for your next post.
@Darell 75 is a fine age, and your comment is very interesting.
Learning is an unending process (if we allow it to happen), and effective learning alters behavior or pathways of thought. If we are to advance as a race -that is ‘human race’ - we must be open to all forms of education and information. To even consider remaining static - unwilling to learn or change - is a frightening thought! The world has infinite content, and anyone who would presume to have a handle on it might find themselves humbled…
Peter.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment.
What is the saying? “There is none so blind as he who will not see.”
A closed mind doesn’t permit new information to enter.
Our decision process should be like a balance. We should collect a sufficient pile of ‘facts’ and on one side put the ones that we agree with and on the other, the ones we don’t agree with.
When we find that the balance has tipped to the side that we don’t agree with it is time to reevalute our position–even if it hurts.