What is Truth? Thoughts on subjective and objective truth

You never have to explain the concept of pain. Pain bridges the gap between every group of people and walk of life.

Equally so with the concept of truth. Whether or not something is true can be debated and held in opinion, but not truth itself.

Truth is a word. Truth is truth self-evident. But what did it mean before that?

Subjectively to each individual, the truth was what kept us from pain. We learn this as children.

If you touch that stove, it will burn you. That’s subjectively true for you at that age. It keeps you from burning yourself.

Objectively to all of us, truth is valuable and is something worth seeking out. Truth is knowable and comes from a source that is ultimately trustworthy.

The search for truth is the basis for both science and Christianity.

Currently, there is an assault on truth. You see this attack on both fronts. Attacks on subjective truth and people attacking the idea of objective truth.

Subjective truth falls short by definition. Adults can touch stoves and not get burned. We tell children not to touch the stove because it’s hot.

If we told them exactly where to touch and under what circumstances, they wouldn’t understand. They would do something out of order and get hurt.

They might not trust you anymore. It was your truth that caused pain. Not the stove.

Objective truth is knowable but hidden behind our perceptions. How do you think our conscious minds see the world? Is the world hidden behind a sheet?

When we learn something, do we poke a hole through the sheet and see what is objectively true? Or is the entirety of the world visible but shaped by our perceptions?

The search for truth is a life-long journey. You have to shape yourself to find the truth.

Ask yourself next time before questioning “someone’s truth.” Should I take away something that keeps them from pain? Should I tell them their life-long journey is pointless?