Intention vs. Truth (Part III)

So let’s do a recap. Words can be a powerful tool to express emotions and knowledge. However, due to their inherent lack of physical presence, actions are more trustworthy. Actions in and of themselves, however, are also not trustworthy because it is necessary to look at the intention behind it to determine its true purpose. Therefore, up to here, I have slowly built my case up that the intention behind the action is the truest indicator of what’s real.

This article proposes that even if someone has a clear intention, and successfully accomplishes the act, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the truth. If someone kills in the name of God, and sincerely believes it, does that mean God sanctioned the man’s death? If a spouse hits the other and says they did it because they loved them, and honestly believe that, does it make it ok?

The Qur’an has a good verse which says “It is possible that you like something and yet it is not good for you” (Q. 2:216) You don’t need to be Muslim or religious to understand this. Cigarettes are obviously a destructive tool but millions of people willingly, consciously, and intentionally smoke. Many of these same people exercise, or eat healthy, are successful, or have family. Do they want to kill themselves? More likely than not they will say no. So does their action and intention contrast with a greater truth about themselves? Is there an independent objective truth? Or is all truth subjective?

If truth is simply subjective, then that would mean that all people’s perceptions are accurate. That would make Jews evil. Muslims, terrorists. Christians, idol worshipers. American women, fat. Mexicans, lazy. Stereotypes, racist opinions, and pure delusion would all be true. Of course you could say that it’s still truth, except it’s only the individual’s truth. Even though we can only understand the world through our senses so that our conception of reality is built exclusively on perception which becomes our own unique truth (like an “alternate reality”), you can not say that any one person’s truth is absolute. Sure it’s what they perceive, but it doesn’t necessarily make it so.

Accepting this should lead to two conclusions. One, that you must respect and tolerate other people who disagree with you and not try to change or condemn them. Because even if you know for a fact that they are incorrect, chances are you are also incorrect about things you’re certain about. This is the second conclusion you should reach and it should be quite humbling for most of us. The acceptance that nothing you know can be taken as true or real.

But why should any of this matter? If the steak tastes good to you, it’s good, regardless if the chef told you it was marinated in urine but only threw spice on it to mask the taste. Right? I dunno, the fact that it was marinated in urine kind of does matter to me. Because I know I would rather pick one marinated differently if I had the choice.

The ability to make good choices is contingent upon the options that are available. But the only way to research different options is to understand that nothing you know can be for certain and nothing that anybody else knows is certain either. So you must approach every moment as a new one. You must be open to new ideas and experiences. Your past stays with you, whether you like it or not. But it’s not a burden on you, unless you choose it to be.

There is something liberating in the idea that one can be in charge of one’s own choices; that one is not a helpless victim of an environment. However, the choices we make can’t always be self-centered. In some ways, we will always be driven by self-serving motives. The question is whether we regard the sanctity of others by our intentions and actions (and words), as well as our willingness to look our motivations in the face and recognize them accurately for what they are. After all, desperate as we are to relish the shortcomings of others or to point out their mistakes, we must turn to ourselves. It is only a caring and gentle self-esteem that is going to enable us to grow, and thereby change our perception of the disliked other even when we cannot change their behavior.

But I digress. Ultimately, we don’t have truths, we only have choices. Our perception of reality is real to us, but it doesn’t mean its real to anyone else or even the truth about ourselves. Just because you think God told you to bomb abortion clinics, doesn’t mean that’s what God really wants. The truth is you’re delusional. Just because you say “I love you” to someone doesn’t mean you’re actually looking for them to say “I love you” back. The truth is, you are insecure. Therefore, even when the intention is clear behind a persons actions (or words), there is a greater truth that is more indicative of reality. Whatever that is.