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sobriqueWhat is the truth?
Never an easy question to answer.
Dictionary.com say "truth" is:
Conformity to fact or actuality.
A statement proven to be or accepted as true.
Sincerity; integrity.
Fidelity to an original or standard.
Conformity to a fact. Well, if it's a fact that I think I'm the most fantastic person on this planet, does that make it the truth?
Or is it only if it's accepted to be true that it becomes so?
It's hard to ever develop and objective 'truth' there's always shades of meaning and interpretation in anything other than a trivial fact. It's easy enough to say that my computer reports the time is 15:34. It's a little harder to say that that is the correct time. (Especially given what time you may read this post at).
Sometimes an untruth is told to save feelings.
Sometimes a story is told for entertainment, and whether it's true or not is largely irrelevant.
Sometimes truth hurts.
Sometimes it's meaningless.
Facts, when filtered by opinion and perceptions are what make up the 'truths' as we see them.
Truth and lie are not so relevant as our reasons behind them.
All that's important is kindness or malice in saying a thing.
Neither truth nor lie is good when spoken hurtfully.
Neither truth nor lie is bad when spoken with kindness.
Never an easy question to answer.
Dictionary.com say "truth" is:
Conformity to fact or actuality.
A statement proven to be or accepted as true.
Sincerity; integrity.
Fidelity to an original or standard.
Conformity to a fact. Well, if it's a fact that I think I'm the most fantastic person on this planet, does that make it the truth?
Or is it only if it's accepted to be true that it becomes so?
It's hard to ever develop and objective 'truth' there's always shades of meaning and interpretation in anything other than a trivial fact. It's easy enough to say that my computer reports the time is 15:34. It's a little harder to say that that is the correct time. (Especially given what time you may read this post at).
Sometimes an untruth is told to save feelings.
Sometimes a story is told for entertainment, and whether it's true or not is largely irrelevant.
Sometimes truth hurts.
Sometimes it's meaningless.
Facts, when filtered by opinion and perceptions are what make up the 'truths' as we see them.
Truth and lie are not so relevant as our reasons behind them.
All that's important is kindness or malice in saying a thing.
Neither truth nor lie is good when spoken hurtfully.
Neither truth nor lie is bad when spoken with kindness.
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no subject
Date: 2004-03-18 01:37 pm (UTC)Neither truth nor lie is bad when spoken with kindness.
I disagree completely if we are viewing good objectively. Webster's has a definition "something conforming to the moral order of the universe". In this measure good cannot be disputed, IMO it is the will of god and not open to debate. BUT... as human beings our every action and thought are subjective so reacting to this 'absolute' notion becomes very difficult. Yet is this absolute truth that is the focus of existence, someone call it religion others physics.
Neither truth nor lie is good when spoken hurtfully.
Neither truth nor lie is bad when spoken with kindness.
I'm sure there are many drama stories and soap operas that rely on the above being open to doubt, e.g. Evil bad person tells young innocent the hamster known as Flynn is dead, believing it will hurt. Young innocent is relieved as he had tired of the hamster OR Young innocent goes out and buys fun new pet OR Young innocent takes Evil bad person to the woods to be sacrificed to Shub Niggurath, the black goat of the woods with a thousand young.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-18 03:24 pm (UTC)This is where I disagree - I don't think we can ever have an objective measure of 'good' - it's always subject.
I'm not convinced there are absolute quantities in all but the most trivial situations. But that's a subject for another LJ rant...
(hmm, something for tomorrow I think...)
no subject
Date: 2004-03-19 10:17 am (UTC)I'd argue that a lie is always bad from a moral standpoint, but that's just me. And when you consider that I'm happy not telling the whole truth, or telling the truth in a manner you know will mis-direct, we're niggling about details here...
But anyway, I actually belive in absolute truth. We may not be able to percive it, and many situations just don't have any form of truth we can discover (subjective reallity - basically the limitations of our senses & memories - gets in the way too much).
Actually that's something that set's God verses science. If you're omniscient, a very large part of the thought experiments that were used to build relativaty & quantum physics fall down. Even the verifiable ones start don't work if you have an all-knowing being perform them or take the readings....
I'd argue that a lie is always bad from a moral standpoint, but that's just me.
Date: 2004-03-19 10:32 am (UTC)Re: I'd argue that a lie is always bad from a moral standpoint, but that's just me.
Date: 2004-03-20 08:51 am (UTC)If you're going to make such a comment, then it's probably the best thing to say. Not sure that makes it morally right though. Stick it in as a nessesary evil and move on. If someone's son has just died then they've just been fucked for the rest of there life. Not much you do or say is going to make a difference (not to say you shouldn't try, but...). Generally over-rides minor considerations of right and wrong such as lying.
I was brought up to strongly belive that Lying Was Wrong Full Stop. There Isn't Such A Thing As A White Lie. I'm fairly sure that I could take the above arguement to Mum, and get a good arguement against the lie from her (though I could be wrong, Mum's generally the least predictable person I know). Mum's been through my brother dying (though it was from lukemia, so Definately Not quick & painless), so I think it might be interesting to see what she say's.... I'll bring it up next time I'm at home.
Anyway, I've never really questioned the "Lying is wrong" thing, or even examined the underlying reasons for it. I shall go away and have a long think on the subject.....