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HELP - Can The Truth Really Set Us Free?

Updated on December 18, 2011

the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...

can the truth be found in a courtroom?
can the truth be found in a courtroom?
let's just buy a new version of truth shall we?
let's just buy a new version of truth shall we?

No, this is not to suggest that my truth should become your truth. Simply, it is to ask your opinion or offer a few thoughts to contemplate the concept that if any part of “what really happened” was revealed from all perspectives, would it free us? If the little secrets or frailties we hide could be easily seen, would our burdens be lighter? If ‘what goes around comes around’, could our justifications cause greater pain in the future? Conversely, if we become ‘masters of disguise’, can we manipulate the world however we want?

If you have ever spent time in a courtroom, this question becomes ever prominent. People swear to do just that: “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth” and then proceed unconscionably to lie through their teeth. Do they believe they will escape justice and remain “free”? Was O.J.’s example deemed as verifiable truth that nothing is wrong unless caught? Alternatively, even if caught, are our actions perfectly OK with enough money to buy a new version of truth?

MY ROCK!

MY RIGHT!
MY RIGHT!

Someone recently said the older he gets, the more he believes there is no black or white, only varying shades of grey. I still wonder if his point of view shows greater tolerance and compassion, or is born from his own essential need to squelch unwarranted doubt and judgment thus, muddling his integrity.

True, those who stand on their “I am right” rocks, with clear black or white lenses seem the most impatient and unsympathetic of all. At least though, there are fewer confused, surprising backlashes when dealing with them.

Have you ever been struck with a realization of how your past misinterpretations or mistakes caused others pain? They say the path to failure is paved with good intentions. Once we become more aware and able to see how unruly or selfish we acted, even we have a tough time re-explaining those past grey, muddled “good intentions” don’t we?

Is anger ever justifiable?

 

The “Upside of Anger” movie shows the full wrath of a woman scorned. Detailed is what each of her children were forced to endure while she “justly” expressed her anger caused by the betrayal of her husband leaving without an explanation. Despite drinking to dull her senses, she maintained her rigid, unyielding expectations of what others were “supposed to do”. Her children attempted to move forward, coping and finding their own paths in life. Unlike the norm in real life, she angrily expressed her dictates, then watched calmly as they did what they wanted anyway. She was too weak and hurt to enforce a foundation that had already crumbled. Would the truth set her free? Would it fit with her version of what was “right”?

just walk away...

how far would we have to walk to avoid anyone who might reveal our "hidden truths"?
how far would we have to walk to avoid anyone who might reveal our "hidden truths"?

The man I mentioned earlier harbors a secret that could destroy his career and thus his “truth” remains buried. Those who would destroy him have their own beliefs of how he “should be”, which they deem more true than his hidden reality. Is our integrity then merely another shade of grey if our truth might interfere with our goals?

Through the years, many people, especially my daughter, have chided me for being “too open”, “too honest”, “too trusting”, “too forgiving” and “too determined to see the opportunity of a crisis” (in other words, “too optimistic”). To me these are essential values for integrity, but that is my integrity, not theirs or hers. She believes we ought to just walk away from someone who hurt us or we deem potentially ‘hazardous to our health’ or in the way of our goals. With an additional 30 years of experience on her, I figure I would have to keep walking to the ends of the earth and beyond to avoid such people, confrontations, or “tests”. Yet there is a part of me that questions, is she right? Where is the line?

our level of truth revealed...

YIKES
YIKES

What if we all had some sort of history revealing device everyone could view? Would we be ostracized or isolated for our past mistakes and not knowing any better? Today’s teenagers are warned about just such a possibility for the hormonal or immature exploits they post on MySpace, Facebook or any social sites for that matter. Were all potential employers perfect teachers' pets? Moreover, what if the teenagers could as easily view the history of a potential employer? Is there ANYONE they would willingly work for?

So many people struggle to pretend in hopes of portraying how right they are as if “perfect”. As has been written, “I know I know nothing”, the older I get the more imperfect I feel. That is not to say I have not gained wisdom, or that my current definition of perfect does not allow for a lot of leeway [see: You Are Perfect]. It is just an admission that despite what I believe to be true, I accept that I could still be wrong.

Personally, I think it would be great to be able to access “absolute truth” to gauge how aware or unenlightened my actions or thoughts are at any given moment, on any given subject. Would I be judged as “less than” in certain areas? Undoubtedly. Might my reality limit future possibilities? I believe it would close as many doors as it would open. Would I feel as guilty as the woman in the “Upside of Anger” surely did when she found her husband dead at the bottom of an old well on their property? I would hope so. Could I forgive myself and hope that others were equally as forgiving? If such a guarantee existed, this hub would surely be redundant.

One thing I do know for sure, whether we want to believe our secrets are indiscernible or not, the absolute truth is that there are people more aware than we are - in all areas. Through simple exercises such as body language and/or understanding the subconscious mind, many can indeed see our contradictions, results, misinterpretations, mistakes, hurtful behaviors, and levels of enlightenment or awareness in our actions, histories, or words.

Therefore, I ask, if your history, behaviors, or levels of awareness were revealed to the world, would you still feel “right”, or would you be lost in a muddled shade of grey? If blatant contradictions revealed a lack of integrity, would you welcome change? Would the whole truth help you feel less burdened and freer?

Or are you about to walk away?

Integrity guage

Might as well have fun with it - there's no "right or wrong" - depending on our level of awareness :)

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