What is Truth - The Importance of Truth in Life
Truth is a term with layers of applicable meaning to reference an understanding of reality. There is the universal truth, and a particular truth to describe a subset of the universal.
Universal Truth - "the Truth"
Truth, used as a symbolic construct to refer to "the truth" itself, is a synonym for reality, existence and the universe. They represent a universal grouping concept referring to all of everything as one thing. The universe is uni-verse, that which is rolled or turned into one. The concept of universal truth represents everything as "one", just as existence, reality and the universe do. It's everything that was, is or will be.
Particular Truth - "a truth", "truths"
A truth, or truths, are terms to refer to the variability, diversity and multiplicity of particular aspects of reality, existence of the universe. Particular truths are a subset and part of the universal truth. If you know of and understand philosophical metaphysics, then you can understand how there are the particular colors blue, red and green that are part of the universal grouping called colors. To speak of the generality of numbers is a universal concept, while 1, 2, 3, etc. are a particular numbers.
Many things within the "one" and "all". Truth, reality, existence, the universe, are not "things" in themselves, but are symbolic constructs to group everything into "one", to represent the "all". Things that exist express “the truth” as the universal concept, through being extant and exist as “a truth”, or truths. The Truth is an absolute, the "one", the "all".
Definition & Etymology
Truth is from the Proto-Indo European root drew-o- and deru, meaning "be firm, solid, steadfast", and also hard, accurate, real, upright, "rock solid", a foundation to stand upon, an axiom. This symbolizes the solid, firm, upright and unshakable steadfastness of reality and existence.
This is why the word tree has the same root, because wood is solid, firm and stands upright and steadfastly. Anglo-Saxons used the same word for tree and truth. Druids, the tree folk, has the same root, dru "true/tree" + wid to know" (the root for wisdom), who were known to have have the vision to discern and know reality, the wisdom (wis = vis) to seek and see (vision) truth in reality.
Existence is from ex- “forth, out” + sistere "to set, place, set down, cause to stand, make or be firm". Existence (the truth) has extants in existence (a truth), that are symbolically set up, placed, made firm which causes them to stand out, to be steadfast and upright. Truth and existence, has a truth/truths and extants within it which are things symbolized to stand up straight and show themselves contrasting apart from one another, not one flat amalgamated oneness that cannot be discerned. Truth and existence represents what is right and true.
We stand upon existence as a grounded, firm, solid, integrated, whole, foundation of understanding ourselves (the world within) and reality (the world without). This is truth.
Truth is hard, French *dure = deru, solid, firm, it's enduring and durable.
Do you see the connection and what this symbol/term "truth" is referring to? It is clear if you look into the origin of the words to learn what this symbol was created to represent and reflect about reality. Clear, clarity of vision, wisdom, from accurately seeing reality represented through word symbols, the magic of language.
Truth Type 1 & Truth Type 2
Rightness, goodness, fairness and honesty is also symbolized by being upright, by moral rectitude (straight). This brings us to two other applicable meanings for truth: Truth Type 1 & 2. Truth Type 1 is what actually was or is in the past or present and what will be in the future. Truth Type 2 is the potential Way and Path of living upright: to live by and uphold, sustain and support what is right, good and true.
This is how morality is a truth in reality based on the wisdom or folly of our actions (right or wrong actions) and represents who we are, our character, our ka (power) to create into the world to bring truth, rightness, justice, law, and order, or to bring the opposite of falsity, wrongness, injustice, and chaos. Morality is what is right, good and true, and can be objectively known. Truth and morality are representative of integrity because they are intimately linked in understanding, which some people can't be bothered to understand and want to continually deny Moral Truth. Morality will be defined and explained in another write-up.
Veritas, Veracity, Veracious, Verifiable
Truth is "solid", as in real, demonstrable, and verifiable. Truth is not simply belief as "truth" that you imagine in the subjective inner-light constructs of your consciousness. Truth is objective and is seen through the outer-light that shines upon existence.
Truth is verifiable. There is veracity behind a truth, because it is verifiable. Latin veritas is truth; Latin verus is true. Veracity, verifiable, veracious and veritas: truth.
Truth vs. Belief
If something can't be verified, repeated, persisted through a methodology, then it can't be confirmed through verification to exist, although it may have been true, happened or existed, such as an event. If it was not recorded in written, audio or video format, then we have no way of knowing it actually did happen. Anyone can say anything or write anything, but it doesn't make it necessarily true.
Acceptance of an alleged truth this way, will be a belief, and not a real "solid" truth. This is a major distinction that people are failing to make, that of a real truth, and that of a belief pervaded as “truth”. Many beliefs are pervaded and purported as "truth" because of uncritical thinking. Truth is not belief.
Truth is a symbol concept to represent what is existent, as opposed to unreal non-existent imaginations and beliefs we can invent and fantasize about. Truth doesn’t exist in itself, it refers to particular aspects of existence (extants) or all one universal grouping order of existence.
The objective universe, with all that it contains, anything that is, is real existence, even if we can’t interact with it directly with our immediate sense apprehension capacities. But, to actually know something as a truth requires it to have been demonstrated as such. If you can't re-demonstrate it to others, then they can only believe what was demonstrated to you. Imagery in consciousness (phantasms, beliefs) does not equate to existence in reality. If you can’t verify what someone says about reality, then you believe them, you have trust, loyalty and faith in that belief being "true". Something can actually be true, but you can't make the claim of it being true, unless you can verify and demonstrate it to be true. That is what the word true means.
There are two ways to be fooled: to accept what isn’t true or to refuse to accept what is true.
The Importance of Truth
Truth and morality are the foundation for determining the quality and condition of our lives. Moral truth is the greatest "capital" (chief, most important, head) investment to make in life. Spending our* time** and paying attention (our currency in life)* to understand morality and live morally is the highest, truest most authentic aspiration to strive for in life.
This allows us to progressively become better, truer, realer and higher versions of ourselves, as a "higher self". All of the "spiritual" teachings are about this at their core* esoteric hidden occulted later of meaning. The narratives and phantasmal (fantasy) imagery are not to be taken literally.
The degree to which we diverge from the truth, reality and existence, and more specifically the path and way of moral truth, will determine the quality, condition and degree to which we experience confusion, suffering and chaos in our lives. Believing 2+2=5 will send you on a false path of understanding, while understanding and seeing (vision, wisdom) the truth of 2+2=4 will set you on the right path.
"There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting."
– Buddha allegedly, but unknown source
Truth is reality, existence and the universe, the "one", the "all", i.e. the symbol of "God". Truth is the axiomatic foundation for higher, realer, truer living, and the foundation for life and the universe.
Notice the origin of the idea of "God" as a symbolized synonym to represent truth as some actual "thing" that is imagined to exist in itself? Reality, existence, the universe, and truth are symbols that are inherently recognized in a model of understanding the world and ourselves, and then anthropomorphized, reified, deified, externalized, objectified and projected out there somewhere as some "thing".
This is what the Ancient Egyptians, Kemetians, and many other religions, cultures and teachings did to symbolically elucidate comprehension of reality. This symbolic, metaphorical, mythopoetic, allegorical, analogical and parabolic understanding was eventually taken to be literal. Externalizing comprehension of ourselves and reality, as objects in themselves, like idols for "gods", is a way to more easily understand an abstraction. This is what is symbolically expressed in the metaphor of Jesus, the Light, the Word, the Way and Path, and "God". It's not to be taken literally, even though some do. It's to express deeper understanding of higher, truer, realer moral life and living.
Do you value truth? What are the 3 most important things in your life? Was truth even one of them before you read this? Is it now that you understand it's importance?
If you care to create an anarchistic and voluntary society, then truth and morality is the key to opening that door of possibilities and walking into that new reality we can create.
Truth is "Love". "Love" is Truth. Truth unites. Lies divide. Embrace Truth. Care for Truth.
Integrate with Truth & Morality.
Live integrated & connected.
Truth is one way – go all the way.
Thank you for reading! I appreciate the knowledge reaching more people. Take care. Peace.
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Author: Kris Nelson / @krnel
Contact: [email protected]
Date: 2016-09-17, 9:20am EST
I agree with you @krnel, truth is a synonym of reality because a person could not live in reality if he is not true to himself. A person who live in lies could not to be happy, they does but to some extent of outward happiness but the real that comes from within could not be achieve.
A lie slowly kills an individual, not a physical killing but rather a killing within its personality and the only thing that heal is the truth.
There's a saying that "the truth will set you free". This is true, a person who admits himself by saying the truth, takes out the chain that hid himself from the sun, the sun that gives life, and that is real happiness.
Yes indeed. The Sun is a symbol for higher consciousness that is attained through truth, and especially moral truth. I have work on this symbolism to come later as I develop a foundation of understanding for readers.
Indeed, outward happiness, seeking pleasure, enjoyment, "living", is not the deeper joy and life that truth will grant us.
Thanks for the feedback. Take care. Peace.
truth is in the past, true is now
Great article Kris. I concur with your thoughts on Truth. The concept of "oneness" is ubiquitous throughout all cultures in all epochs of "time", because that's the truth of our UNI-VERSE...oneness, which to me signifies God Consciousness.
The brilliance in the DESIGN of our Universe lies in the fact that an infinite amount of creations can exist all UNIQUE from one another and yet all made from the EXACT SAME material (Atoms), and all connected back to source. Thus, together, these "creations" manifest the sum of the parts...the whole...the ONE. Plus, no creation can ever get it "wrong" with anything that they "do" because no matter what we create individually, it instantaneously becomes a reflection of the whole.
Therefore, this insanity that exists within organized society to JUDGE everyone and everything is not only segregating and counterproductive, it's an oxymoron of sorts, as you simply cannot judge the relative merits of an individual expression when it's actually part of everything in the moment. The comment, "you and your ideas suck" implies not only a moral or structural superiority but also a sense of separation or disconnection between the "Judgor" and the "Judgee", which simply cannot exist. Perhaps the most suitable and accurate comment to make to another's creation is, "thank you for your individual contribution to all that is"?
To me, the pursuit of Truth is the pursuit of what is...and that's the realization that in the exact moment of true self-awareness, comes the understanding that we are ALL CONNECTED as the one...the God of all that is! And while you and I may discover this haphazardly on our own, it will be extremely difficult for any global movement of AWARENESS to occur until such time that the our patterns and goals of Education radically change to reflect this TRUTH!
Again, thanks for posting such a well-thoughout and important article Kris! Namaste.
God is truth, http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1002.htm
Hey @krnel :) I just came across this article and was thinking that it sounded familiar. Upvoted and followed.
I found your presentations a couple of years ago and used them along with other great works, including the great work of Mark Passio, Michael Tsarion, Manly P. Hall, Terrance Mckenna, Larken Rose and others.
Truly amazing work you have done and now I got a chance to thank you for it, so thank you!! :D.
The Trivium needs more teachers and I myself will try to grow into that. Your work contributed and still contributes greatly to that goal. And I am looking forward to see more material.
Thank you for the feedback, appreciation and valuation of my work. I appreciate it :) More work will be forthcoming indeed.
Take care. Peace.
True is based on position and point of vew :)
Yes, our ability to discern truth does depend on our ability to see it. Some people can see reality better than others.
Truth is the base line for a good life.
Yes, it is.
As usual, an excellent analysis and description of a crucially fundamental concept. I thought I noticed an error in your 2nd sentence:
...but upon rereading it I see no error at all. My first impression was the statement was contradictory: "How can a subset of the truth be universal?" Of course it can't. An alternative construction would be: There is universal truth and subsets of it which are particular truths.
The error was mine in parsing the statement. The rest of your article flushes out the distinction between universal truth (i.e. reality) and specific truth. Not sure if this feedback is useful but there it is.
Thanks. That may help some people who don't read the sentence structure properly as well. There is nothing contradictory if you understand what particulars and universals are, such as by reading some of my other posts that I linked to, such as philosophical metaphysics. Glad you hashed it out. ;) Take care. Peace.
Truth is what is and what has been.
Great post :)
please read it for a moment,
I need your help.
https://steemit.com/life/@odyprabowo/we-need-your-help-please-read-it
im trying to make social movements