Hello O-Mama’s!
When my sons were small, they occasionally got into a squabble, or one of them accidentally broke something, or one or all three of them committed some other trespass. And as mothers do, I asked, “Who did it? Who is at fault?” And of course, all fingers pointed to another!! What was the truth??
Many years ago when I was married to my first husband, we hardly ever saw the same thing the same way. If I said the drapes were too short. He said they were just right, etc. etc. What was the truth??
We owned a van a few years ago that was blue. At least that is the color I said it was. My sweet husband said it was green. We both believed what we “saw”, but it wasn’t a matter of argument. One day I asked my daughter-in-law Leah what color it was. Green, she said. Shortly after that, Leah and I stopped at McDonald’s with the children. I parked and got out of the van. Another car pulled in and parked beside us. Leah got out the same time as the other driver, stopped him and asked him what color our van was! Green. Well, I should be convinced the van was green. However, I saw blue! So, the absolute truth had to come from the person who knew what the color REALLY was, and that was the person who painted it!!
One thing I have learned in my many years on this earth is that I want to know the whole truth on a subject before I decide to respond or react. As I watch, read, and listen, I’m not too sure a lot of people have learned this lesson, or choose to ignore it. They end up thinking just what is convenient or lines up with their own philosophy. I try not to respond in any way until I’m sure of the truth. And if I don’t know the truth for sure, I’ll try to remain neutral and respectful of another’s opinions or stated facts.
Expressing an opinion is not necessarily truth, but many people take it as truth and respond gladly, hatefully, or sometimes even violently. In our world today, pictures and even videos can be doctored to present something other than the original – once it was true and became false. How many e-mails have you received that you took as the truth and found out by checking that it was actually false? What are we to believe?
We hear a politician tell us one thing while another tells a totally different viewpoint. We have to find out the truth for ourselves. We hear television or other well known personalities point out what is taken as truth and should be taken as an opinion. Unfortunately, just because we don’t like something or do agree with something, doesn’t make that something true or false
This is true and cannot be changed: I was born in 1941. Someone can say that I wasn’t, but that doesn’t change the absolute truth. False documents can be provided, but that doesn’t change the truth. False documents can be disproved. It is true that false documents can be proven false!! We sometimes make the mistake of agreeing with something that is false, or disagreeing with something that is true because we do not take the time to find the truth for ourselves ~ and that can cause serious consequences.
Motive is a very interesting word that drives much of what we do each and every single day. Motive is what drives us to say or believe something is true or false. I try to stop and figure out my motive(s) before speaking my mind. I also like this definition of truth: “Truth has no agenda.”
We see the consequences of not seeking the truth everyday. What do you think?
“A popular Government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives.” – James Madison
For peace, liberty and justice for all…(and independent thinking, of course!)
~ Granny La Te Da
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