At dinner I was once asked, “what is your definition of truth?”
I didn’t really have a good answer. I said what came to my mind which was that it’s an accurate representation of the world. Kind of a small answer to a bit question. The context I was thinking was about as childish as it could have been; telling the truth.
But there’s a lot more to it and I’ve been wrestling with this concept in my mind. Here’s my attempt at digging deeper.
The truth is all the hidden reasons for things being done. The real reasons.
I was hungry so I made a sandwich. True statement. But the bigger truth behind that is that I’m a human that needs a certain amount of substance to sustain my energy. The bigger truth is that we as a species consume other species to continue on as a species.
Continuing on as a species is not just eating and sustaining, it’s also reproducing to keep the truth of humanity existing.
I think your perspective on truth changes as you get older and realize that the truth lies underneath the surface.
I picture an adult having a conversation with a kid to get them to admit they did something wrong. They are bobbing and weaving through the surface of the answers to dig through them to get the truth. We’re all that kid and we don’t know it.
It’s funny to think about how much time we really spend (at least me,) finding out the deeper truths that people are dealing with to help them out. But it’s true, and I think a lot of this is done subliminally because it’s so ingrained in our minds.
I’ve been through a lot of sales trainings through my career and you will always hear that the best sales people are those that ask the most questions. You have to connect that full circle and realize that sales people are better when they can connect to a person’s truth. But it’s not just sales people, it’s everyone, we are better off as a civilization when we can connect to other people’s truths. A salesperson “peeling the onion layers” is them finding a way to connect to what people want, or what they are really trying to fix. We all have our guards up and don’t let people in, but when we are around people we really trust and know we can drop that and get to discussing bigger ideas and what we hold as our individual truths. The discussion of the big ideas and improving on your understanding is how we find progress. It’s us bettering our views and spreading that with others.
Now sales people leveraging truths is annoying and not the point of this, I just thought it was an easy to connect with example. We can seek the truth with people or we can become better as a species by seeking the bigger truths. Rather than concerning ourselves with sustaining ourselves with sandwiches, seek a bigger truth like what will a sustained human species do on this earth? What should we be doing? Should we keep doing what we are? If we continue at this rate, will it be sustainable?
When we focus on seeking these bigger truths it’s easier for us move in a better direction. The small decisions are easier when we are aligned on the bigger decisions. It’s almost like you can build a system for your life based on what your idea of bigger truths are.
Every day small decisions are a series of a collection of what you hold to be most important. If you adjust your time preference and take a step back, you will find a more fulfilled life all the while keeping in mind your truths.
We are all truth seekers in different stages of our lives with different perspectives. This is something we could all work on and there has never been a time more important for us to do so, even our trusty news is out to anger people to get views. They are trying to test your will, and like a door to door salesmen we must shut the door on those that are trying to leverage any knowledge of our truths. If we keep an open mind and are always seeking the bigger and deeper truth, we hold the power over our minds and are free from manipulation.
Let’s work on bettering ourselves, let’s uncover the big truths, let’s ignore the distractions, let’s take control of our lives.
The Better Life 