nothing but the truth
“Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
Between watching Just Mercy, ongoing coverage of policy brutality at protests and discussions about anonymous sexual assault allegations, there’s been no weekend shortage of heavy topics.
While I very much believe these -isms (racism, sexism) have always gone on - they’re just being recorded, documented, shared in unprecedented ways - I have been grappling with this idea of what constitutes truth.
Let’s start at a basic level.
Your friend recounts the story of what happened one night at a bar.
Some facts are embellished, others are left out…for the purpose of the story. You have a good laugh, move on.
Are they telling “the truth?”
Sure; you have no incentive to question their account of events. Low stakes.
But what if the truth comes out…that there was a crime committed at the bar that very night and suddenly this friend is brought in to testify on their version of the events? Suddenly this account of events isn’t so low stakes anymore.
Sure we have technology now like security cameras and all. But all that’s recorded is two people conversing before something happens.
Where is the truth in motivation and intent behind those actions?
Let’s look to our leaders. Are our politicians held to a degree of accountability? Of telling the truth?
Okay bad example.
Let’s look to media. Journalism is a field that has wrestled with this concept for some time.
The American Press Institute covers the “lost meaning of ‘objectivity’” and says ““All truths –even the laws of science – are subject to revision, but we operate by them in the meantime because they are necessary and they work.”
…Hm.
Turns out no one has the truth, do they?
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off”
So I’m left wondering:
What constitutes truth?
What do we do if we are the only one (or ones) entrusted with it?
Once we have it - how can we be sure?
Once we have it - what do we do with it?