Reality

"The truth? You can’t handle the truth."

Time to go Jack Nicholson in Marine Colonel mode.

I'm talking about the truth, and why it's so hard to handle.

According to the post-modern view, truth is relative. This means that what's true for you might not be true for me, and vice versa. There is no objective truth. But here's the thing: that's nonsense. I'm not saying that we all have to agree on everything, but the idea that truth is relative is a cop-out. It's a way to avoid the uncomfortable reality that there are things that are objectively true, whether we like it or not.

Here's where religion comes in. Now, before you start rolling your eyes, hear me out. I'm not saying you have to be religious to appreciate the value of objective truth. But the fact is, all the major religions - Judaism, Christianity, Islam - are built on the idea that objective truth can be known. In Christianity, for example, Jesus famously said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Pretty bold statement, if you ask me. And in Islam, the Quran says that God is the "Lord of the worlds" and that "the truth has come and falsehood has vanished."

In Judaism, objective truth is found in Proverbs 8:7, "For my mouth will speak truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips." This verse is attributed to Wisdom, who is personified as a woman in the book of Proverbs.

Wisdom speaks of herself as a source of truth, implying that truth exists beyond human subjectivity or interpretation. This means there is an objective reality that can be known and spoken of accurately, and that it is the duty of the wise to seek and uphold that truth.

But in modern times, we have evolved into a culture that hates wisdom and abstract thinking. Post-moderns cannot think about concepts or the meaning of actions. Since they are incapable of thinking about abstract concepts, they are incapable of thinking about the future in a real way because they have no understanding of the past. A lot of the secular philosophy that's developed since the 60s, that’s "oh man, we should just smoke weed and chill and you can't judge anyone," makes literally no sense if you want to run a stable society for a long period because you have to make real trade-offs.

Academia pushes conformity, offensiveness, compliance, and lack of curiosity, without teaching how to think, only what to think. Most influencers only care about money and sex, with no knowledge of history, religion, philosophy, or real interest in travel or the world. It's a shame that people don't care about their own heritage. This is the quiet, boring road to despotism. All because we have forgotten who we are and where we came from.

There is no such thing as "my truth" or "your truth." There is only the truth, and sometimes, that truth hurts. It forces us to confront our own limitations, flaws, and biases.

But ultimately, that's a good thing. That's why the truth hurts... because the truth is good, even if we are not. Let's stop pretending that truth is relative. Let's stop using it as an excuse to avoid uncomfortable truths. Let's embrace the fact that there is objective truth, and that it can be known.

Because when we do that, we open ourselves up to a world of possibilities. A world where we can learn, grow, and become better than we ever thought possible.

Or not.

"In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell.