Today we continue our conversation about the concept of truth. Specifically, is it static or dynamic?
Is Truth Only True in the Moment?
Do you view truth as constant, everlasting, and not subject to change? Or do you see truth as something dynamic, that is valid in the moment? I used to think that truth was Truth, with a capital T, end of sentence. But now I realize that things I thought were true (that I even believed as true) earlier in my life, are no longer true for me. New truths have become evident and perhaps it is because I am no longer the person I once was. Do our truths change as we change?
I know that truths are not absolute, because I see evidence of it in nutrition. If there was one way to eat, to be healthy, to be slim, then we would have 100 books on THAT way. But there’s not. There’s hundreds of ways, and then there’s dozens (even hundreds!) of books on each of the most popular ways! You can say calories are absolute, as long as you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. And you can believe that with all of your being, and it will be true for you, and your body will respond accordingly. But then someone else could come along and show you evidence to disprove that – to say that the KIND of calories matter, and they can show you charts and graphics, and photos, and evidence of their own weight loss journey, and they can believe this to their core, and it will be true for them, but that may not at all make it true for you. And then another person can come along, fully believing that calories DO NOT matter, that it’s all about carbs, or fat, or processed foods, or raw diet, or whatever… and still another person will tell you they eat whatever they want as long as they exercise they don’t gain weight. And then someone else shows up and says that food is a myth and we can live off of oxygen and fresh lemon juice and water and be totally healthy and at one with the earth. And all of these things would be TRUE for the person who believes in it fully, and it would manifest as truth for them. But that does mean it is universally true.
So back to our earlier question about changing truth. Back in 80’s it was all about fat free. Fat free became all the rage, everything was fat free. Foods that were considered super unhealthy (gummy bears, for example) now featured FAT FREE! on their labels. Then sugar was the white devil, and Atkins and low carb became the new trend. And so on and so forth. And I personally know many, many people who have lost weight on more than one of these programs–even programs that were in direct contradiction of each other! Their truths changed, and they followed what was true for them IN THE MOMENT, and so it became true for them. Until a greater truth reigned, such as “I can’t sustain this kind of eating as a lifestyle” or “now I’m worried about diabetes” or maybe they just never dealt with whatever underlying reason caused them to put on the weight in the first place.
It’s clear we’re not just talking about food and diets, right? We could apply this same philosophy to religion, exercise, sex, money, love, marriage, politics, just about anything we think or believe. If you think back to your exes, you may recall a time when one of you was convinced you’d love the other forever. But then something changed, and that was no longer true. These shifts in truth can be enlightening, but they can also have some unpleasant fallout.
Here’s the takeaway:
- it’s important to think about what you think about
- when you stay in your own lane, your truths belong to you. You don’t need to try to convince anyone else that it should be true for them, or let anyone try to sway your own truth
- keep an open mind and realize that your truths may change over time, as you change and as your world changes, too
- keep asking questions about truth! Keep exploring, revealing, searching, and considering. When someone tells me something, the first thing I think is, “is that true?”
- use your pendulum and other trust testing methods to check in and verify what’s true for you
Truth is an exciting part of anyone’s spiritual journey.
And sure, some truths may always be true. Two plus two may always equal four (or will it…?) but in the meantime, it’s fun to explore truth and see how far we’ve come. Post a comment and let me know your thoughts about this.
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