Staunch - 15 August 2009 04:56 AM
KevinW - 14 August 2009 10:05 PM
What is truth? Truth is that which is verifiably so according to a specific set of criteria. The question, I believe, concerns of what or from whom the criteria has originated and the manner in which a claim is contrasted against such.
Being honest is telling the truth. Stating facts, giving opinions and views as best one truly believes them to be.
Honesty or lack of it is a basic ingredient in every human being. Its demonstrated and repeated every day by millions of people. Honesty is a character element, we choose it, rather than being born with it. By choosing it consistently we raise the moral standard of behavior for ourselves and those we interact with.
Telling the truth is being honest. You are either telling someone what they want to hear or something they don’t wish to know. It’s a conscious demonstration of consistent answers given when asked for an honest opinion. An honest person tells the truth. Truthful people are honest. Honesty can be placed in its proper class or identified as being what it is, it eliminates deceit.
Truth is not related to perception, as our perceptions are always relativistic and different from others.
Example: 2 persons standing along a railroad track, some distance apart from each other. Between them is a moving train, blowing its whistle. Later that day the 2 meet and discuss the pitch of the train whistle. One says the pitch of the whistle was in the key of B, the other says that the pitch was in the key of Dflat. Who is right and who is lying ?
Actually they are both telling the truth, but neither is correct.
The pitch of the train whistle was in the key of C. The doppler effect presented a different pitch to each. The train was moving away from one person, thereby lowering the apparent pitch, and moving toward the other, raising the pitch for the other.
This was their reality at that particular moment and was not a personal mental creation. Reality presents itself relative to the point of the observer.
