Truth or...?
I may just as well plunge right in and be done with this, The virtue for today is truth, VERITAS, which, in case we want to define it, means truthfulness in dealing with others. It's kind of an important virtue, and, compared to many of the other virtues I've talked about, easier to understand even in a modern context. We value truth: in politics, in media, in religion, and in our everyday dealings with others. Don't we?
Maybe we don't, really. It's easier to speak and hear the bland white lies, that don't make you lose face, that sugar the pill a bit, that don't make you have to live with what the world really thinks of you, and the reactions of people when you told them what you really think. Craig Ferguson told a story of the consequences of truth in one of his monologues. He had made it a habit, when he got angry at people, to write them an e-mail, detailing what he thought about them, and what they should be doing with their lives. He would save the message in the drafts on his iPhone, and writing it down helped him, so that he never sent the e-mail. One day he pushed the wrong button, and all the messages were delivered at once. I don't know whether any of his friendships ended because of it, but he was a bit worried. So, would you be happy to be the unfortunate sender or recipient of such messages? I would rather have the lies, I'm afraid. The people I need to be honest with me are my closest friends, and professional people, like doctors, priests, and lawyers, should I ever need one. Much of our social life is based on polite lies, and at the very least silence about the inconvenient truths. I think it's a reason why people like shows about crime-solving. They are about finding out the truth about people, even when it is unpleasant. Art should portray truth in some way, and the need for the truth seems to be a passion for most people. Just as long as it doesn't hit too close to home.
I used to find one verse in the Bible absolutely terrifying. I can't find it for you, but it's in one of the Psalms, I think, The penitent man or woman says to the Lord "You want the truth unto the most secret parts", in other words "I can never hide the truth from you". Maybe that's one of the reasons why we shirk from finding out the truth, or the consequences of truth, whether we believe in God or not: truth will out, and it could change everything. It's kind of an absolute, it's not even a virtue in that respect. It's funny about the game "Truth or dare", as it's called in English. Truth takes a lot of guts. Didn't we almost always rather choose "dare"? I know I did...
That's another week over, another virtue discussed, and another vest almost ready. See you tomorrow, have a great week!
Maybe we don't, really. It's easier to speak and hear the bland white lies, that don't make you lose face, that sugar the pill a bit, that don't make you have to live with what the world really thinks of you, and the reactions of people when you told them what you really think. Craig Ferguson told a story of the consequences of truth in one of his monologues. He had made it a habit, when he got angry at people, to write them an e-mail, detailing what he thought about them, and what they should be doing with their lives. He would save the message in the drafts on his iPhone, and writing it down helped him, so that he never sent the e-mail. One day he pushed the wrong button, and all the messages were delivered at once. I don't know whether any of his friendships ended because of it, but he was a bit worried. So, would you be happy to be the unfortunate sender or recipient of such messages? I would rather have the lies, I'm afraid. The people I need to be honest with me are my closest friends, and professional people, like doctors, priests, and lawyers, should I ever need one. Much of our social life is based on polite lies, and at the very least silence about the inconvenient truths. I think it's a reason why people like shows about crime-solving. They are about finding out the truth about people, even when it is unpleasant. Art should portray truth in some way, and the need for the truth seems to be a passion for most people. Just as long as it doesn't hit too close to home.
I used to find one verse in the Bible absolutely terrifying. I can't find it for you, but it's in one of the Psalms, I think, The penitent man or woman says to the Lord "You want the truth unto the most secret parts", in other words "I can never hide the truth from you". Maybe that's one of the reasons why we shirk from finding out the truth, or the consequences of truth, whether we believe in God or not: truth will out, and it could change everything. It's kind of an absolute, it's not even a virtue in that respect. It's funny about the game "Truth or dare", as it's called in English. Truth takes a lot of guts. Didn't we almost always rather choose "dare"? I know I did...
That's another week over, another virtue discussed, and another vest almost ready. See you tomorrow, have a great week!