Truth is a matter of opinion

June 3, 2014 · 0 Comments

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
Marcus Aurelius

Mark Pavilons

Humans have created quite the conundrum for ourselves. We’ve amassed a tremendous amount of knowledge and yet the truth is still elusive.
The Internet – the most revolutionary marvel ever created – is brimming with all the world’s knowledge. It may very well contain, if you know where to look, the sum of all humanity.
But, given humankind’s propensity for spin-doctoring, double-speak and outright lies, it’s very difficult to decipher the truth. Sure, it’s “out there” but just where is that?
I’ve been trying to uncover the truth throughout my 30-year journalism career. And yet, it’s a weird concept.
For some things – issues, meetings and events – it’s fairly easy to reveal the who, what, where, when and why. It’s pretty easy to take notes, get quotes from all interested parties and create a piece that provides a well balanced presentation.
But, we’re dealing with human beings here. I have maintained there seems to be three viewpoints to every issue – ones at opposite ends and one in the middle. If you want to split hairs, it would also be everything in between. People express opinions, because that’s how we’ve been created.
Facts are facts. It seems, though, they are open to interpretation.
In very few circumstances are we dealing with strict mathematical formulas, where 2 plus 2 always equals 4 – case closed, no ifs, ands or buts.
And that’s why I find articles on budgets, project costs, taxes, income tax and government salaries so interesting.
Just how can one “interpret” the costs of a construction project? Sure, I fully understand hard, soft and labour costs and that things fluctuate and change over the course of a large-scale project. Yet, the government of the day is forever defending itself against the opposition in justifying such things and putting a positive spin on it all.
Politics is one funny business.
I’ve seen dozens of elections at all levels and met some very interesting politicians over the years.
I think at the outset of their careers, politicians mean well and believe they can change the world for the better. They truly want to make a difference and help their fellow men and women. I give them all full marks and credit for such an endeavour. I ran for office myself back in 2010.
Once they are familiar with how the government really operates, they realize their role is limited. The machine is one massive contraption with hundreds of tiny cogs. Some of the gears may be missing a few teeth, but the contrivance rolls along.
If we eliminate bureaucracy as a bastion of truth, what are left with?
Well, human beings and all of their frailties.
Almost everything that pertains to people is pure conjecture. Of course, we’ve learned a lot about how the human body works and how we transform nutrients into fats, sugars, etc. We know a lot about illness and cancer.
But, the human body is still a weird, wonderful enigma. It’s far from perfect, but it’s a really ingenious machine in itself. All creatures on earth, big and small, are similarly fascinating in their form and function.
How all of these atoms, cells and molecules came together, continue to sing along in harmony, is beyond any of us. Scientists can explain the “hows” of many things but not the “whys.”
In order to understand our origins, we’ve been glancing skyward, trying to solve the puzzle that is our universe. It’s a mystery that may never been solved in any of our lifetimes.
Just how big is infinity? What’s beyond the boundaries of space and time?
Why are we here?
Good questions all. If you ask around, you’ll sure get some interesting opinions, but few concrete answers.
We’ve split atoms and yet we have yet to fully understand the intricacies of the male-female relationship. This is quite likely the most intriguing, yet complicated thing on the planet (universe?). I think the average person, if given a well written perspective, can understand astrophysics or nuclear medicine, but a discussion on men and women, not a chance!
I think another part of the problem with human beings is our acceptance, apathy and non-confrontational nature.
If we don’t care about something, we won’t try to understand it. We accept certain things because that’s the way they’ve always been. And to avoid conflict, we’ll back off, drop our argument and give in.
None of these help us uncover what’s really going on.
Our cognitive abilities, like anything else, need to be honed and sharpened. For decades, we’ve been bent on making life simpler and easier, removing many challenges along the way.
We’re getting lazy, both physically and mentally.
Finding the truth, like looking for buried treasure, takes a lot of effort.
Who has the time?
I really don’t have the answers. But I would suggest that you always ask questions and if you’re not satisfied with the answers, ask some more.
If you must bend the truth, be careful how far you stretch it!
The truth, if you can find it, is a powerful thing. Use it wisely!
“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”
Galileo Galilei