Where Lies the "Truth" in a Changing World?

During the Holiday period, I was confined, once again to the front couch nursing yet another winter cold. If nothing else, it provided me with the opportunity to catch-up on some readings.  The dog, Prince, in Andre Alexis interesting book, Fifteen Dogs, asks in one of his poems, "What is this world of busy lies?" When I read that line, I found myself automatically closing the book, sitting back and reflecting on that short sentence. Given the overabundance of instant and confusing information that is pushing itself into our daily lives, I had to ask myself, how do I make sense of it all?

I used to think, for example, that the bouquet (scents and smells) and the tastes I enjoy while sipping a glass of my favourite wine was something locked up in the bottle. By pulling the cork, I released those aromas and flavours for my pleasure. Recently I learned that the full development of this gratification only develops when the wine enters my mouth and it is the bacteria at the back of my tongue that creates the final aftertaste and aromas. In other words, each connoisseur has a slightly different and unique experience, so it's somewhat personal and subjective as well.

Another example. I learned years ago that after childhood my brain was hardwired, fixed and unalterable: it supposedly only changed later in life when the brain cells start to fail! Now I have learned that a basic brain property is what is called "neuroplasticity"- it can change itself! Even better for this octogenarian, I can rewire it to function the way it did many years ago! (See The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, M.D.)

These two examples and many others reinforce the notion that even 'truth' is subjective and temporary. Each of us interprets all those events in our lives and how we see them becomes 'our truth'. In other words, we can be wrong and not even know it!

I don't know about 'absolute truth' and will leave that to the experts, especially those who say God dictates the truth! Indeed, did we not learn recently that neutrinos travel faster than the speed of light and some of the known laws of physics seem to be mutable under different circumstances? It would be nice if we also could be more 'open' and less 'fixated'!

There is always someone out there who has the 'facts' and even when we make our 'facts' clear to them, they still disagree! I have learned to keep my mind open, to appreciate the uniqueness of others, and to "allow being to be" as some existentialists say. But thinking about my own thought processes now and again, helps me step back from my 'truths' so that I can be more objective. Who knows, it seems to lead to a more satisfying and happier life.

Shawn Achor, once a professor at Harvard University, in his book, The Happiness Advantage says, "Ninety percent of your long-term happiness is predicted not by the external world, but, by the way your brain processes the world."

Perhaps old Aristotle's simplified version makes more sense, 'Veritas est adequatio intellectus et rei', or in English "Everything is true on the internet"......

And that's Dick's View of the World this Week

A Very Happy New Year to all my faithful readers