“Your Truth” Is Not Truth (And It’s Warping Us)

Gentlemen, one of the most corrupted words of our time is the word “truth.”

Turning “truth” into a term that can be used subjectively has absolutely warped our collective psychology.

Y’all know what I’m talking about — this phenomenon where people say “your truth” and “my truth” and “their truth,” like what truth is depends on the person.

I’ll admit up front: I’m totally guilty of falling for this linguistic trap, just like a lot of highly empathetic people.

Why? Because it feels good. It feels good to justify and validate my own opinion — and the perspectives of others I’m empathizing with.

And honestly? It’s also a cheap intellectual out from actually pursuing truth in its full form… discerning objectivity.

But this phenomenon — which I’ve been speaking out against for two years and will continue to push back against — isn’t only eroding our motivation to sift and winnow through information, contemplate, and test hypotheses…

It also paints the picture that objective truth doesn’t even exist.

Now, we do live in a time of Cartesian crisis — it’s becoming increasingly challenging in many areas of life to discern what’s true.

But from one truth-seeker to the next: don’t give up.

Hold on to your critical thinking skills. Hold on to your ability to be with uncertainty, curiosity, the unknown.

And recognize that neither my opinion, nor yours, nor anyone else’s automatically has the merit of being “truth.”

We all are due — and inherently possess — a precious individual perspective. That’s worth honoring.

But perspective and truth are not the same thing.