3 WAYS TO FIND TRUTH

#1:  Feel for Truth 

     The elegant logic of math is the only real universal language. It transcends culture and spoken word… and it enables us to understand the physical world around us. With math we can build models for predicting anything from hurricanes to genetics. But as effective as math can be at answering *if* something will happen, math (and science) fall short of answering *why* something happens.  It’s the *why* that gives meaning to life… and whether we’re conscious of it or not, meaning and truth are what we’re all after. Truth, as it turns out, has a feel to it. Notice I didn’t say, truth has an emotion to it. Emotions - like anger or anxiety - are fueled by thought. Feeling, on the other hand, comes from a much higher place than thought. Feelings speak a language that the mind can’t completely understand. That’s why when we ask ourselves what we think is true, we’ll often come up with a very different answer than what we feel is true. We’re all invited to trust that feeling. And when we do, we will encounter truths that we never could have imagined.

#2:  Experiment with Truth

     Truth isn’t something you can cook up in a lab. It can’t be created; it can only be discovered. And discovery requires experimentation. Experimentation is how we find out what is functional and sustainable, which translates into what’s true. So, we can’t be afraid to experiment with what seems true for us, knowing that this will change throughout our lives. And that’s OK. It doesn’t serve us to look for a destination of truth. Rather, we should embrace a journey of truth while being patient with ourselves - and each other - along the way. The path to truth leads straight through what isn’t true. And you will never be able to tell the difference without an experiment… or two.  

#3:  Be Humble Before Truth

     Humility attracts truth like a magnet. That is because, when you’re humble, you’re teachable. And when you’re teachable - without your ego getting in the way – you are more likely to spot your own delusions and misperceptions. Think of things like astronomy, computer science, and the study of infectious disease. These aren’t static concepts; they are evolving ones. We never cross the finish line on these or check them off a to-do list. Just think of how confused the most intelligent scientist from the 1500’s would be if you tried to explain a smart phone to them. To people who will live in the 2500s, we are those scientists from the 1500’s. That’s what we will look like to a 26th century human. Whether we’re talking about scientific or personal truth, humility is the key to unlocking it. Greater awareness, knowledge, and wisdom are found in the unknown and the undiscovered. And yes, thinking will help get us there. But thinking takes us to the beginning of truth. Feeling - combined with deep humility - is what takes us all the way.

 

( Ask questions and post comments on this website’s social media links )