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This is an essay on how it is better to consciously pursue the truth in our lives, especially in regards to freedom. It is a bit lengthy but I am hoping for some feedback on it.

 Thank you and without further ado

 
The Truth Can Change

When a person, or a people, hold to the truth of our existence, our natural freedoms, their actions benefit humankind as an icon of true integrity. It is our actions, born of and in reaction to our words, concepts, perspectives, and personal relativistic truths that necessitate attention, for the ones that stray from our personal and social freedoms are those that tarnish our existence. Those that remain loyal to the truth, in their search for reality, have unwittingly engineered a brighter future for all of humankind. Using the truth of freedom as a tool, one can reinvestigate their ethics and cast aside those found wanting and drive on to a brighter future.

Freedom as a philosophy can be defined as “an absence of external restraints…not subjugated”.  Freedom can be defined as inner autonomy as well and further broken down into four sub definitions:
• The ability to act in accordance with the dictates of reason;
• …with one’s own true self or values;
• …with universal values (such as the True and the Good);
• The ability to act independently of the dictates of reason and the urges of desire (wikipedia)

Furthermore, freedom can be the encompassing concept of free will. In philosophical discussions about free will, much is said about determinism, indeterminism, compatibilism and incompatibilism, and whether or not we ultimately have a choice in our actions or whether that choice was predetermined by past events. Lawmakers and citizens avoid this argument and weigh their individual freedoms against the laws of the many, deciding how much of a freedom can be safely relinquished in exchange for greater security or advancement of culture.

An example of such weighing is Proposition 201 on the ballot for Arizona’s 2006 election year (AZSOS). It raises taxes on cigarettes, bans public smoking, and gives the monies from the fines levied to a fund that simply educates people on the danger of smoking. Every American is afforded the liberty to live in their own way and care for their body as they seem fit. This particular law is an example of how the wants of many oppress the few. It is without question that public smoking offends and irritates non-smokers but a better law can been written that does not isolate and harass a single group. Perhaps instead of putting the funds into education on smoking hazards it can be put towards a Smoking Cessation program.

Dr. David Hawkins measures truth on a scale from 1 to 1000, with 1000 being the highest and the absolute truth itself (68). The closer a statement or person is to the truth the higher a score. In Patten’s book, Truth, Knowledge or Just Plain Bull, he suggests that “People who wish to influence you…adjust what they have to say to the intellectual level of their audience. And the larger the audience, the lower the level” (21). From these two statements we can extrapolate that the further we are from the object of discussion, the more likely the facts have been misconstrued and the more falsification has occurred.

In today’s media, news teams strive to have a reporter on the scene, an eyewitness, and as much video footage as possible, to buy as much credibility as possible. In many ways, this brings a person closer to the truth of the subject. However, there are many variables that blur the lines between fact and fiction: the reporter’s point of view, the witnesses’ perception, the angle of the video footage, etc. Last and not least there is a person’s own personal perception AND awareness of the aforementioned variables.

In lawmaking, the laws themselves are written in such a way that a common layperson finds difficulty in grasping the overall concept, let alone the intricate details. Some governments find themselves with an analysis committee whose sole obligation is to paraphrase the law itself. Further, proponents and opponents of a law offer their own points of view and often even more valuable fourth dimensional analysis (in reference to time, extrapolation of what will happen in the future).

A citizen can find themselves at odds when election time comes around with all the different language used to describe proposed laws. Very few texts of proposed laws contain a comprehensive, honest evaluation of the proposition’s effect on the different levels including individual, group, class, community, city, county, state, government, business, etc. Assuming that a citizen found themselves with a clear description of the laws effect on the previous items, each individual’s perception still filters against the truth.

Alcoholics Anonymous offers many principles in which an alcoholic or addict can change their lives and recover. “Recovery” can be defined as a return to an original state. If the truth was warped, twisted, misconstrued, and misperceived then there is a calling for principles on which to recover the truth on the individual level. A few of the principles offered by AA to accelerate recovery are ‘open-mindedness’ and ‘willingness’ (59).

Faced with possible untruths a person exercising open-mindedness and the willingness to hear different sides of a story is far more likely to make a better decision overall. To raise the level of truth in relation to a subject, one should gather as much varied information as possible. One should never assume that their local club, chapter, or favorite organization makes the best decisions or has the best sources and should always opt to hear the other side’s point of view.

Bernard Patten offers a principle on how a person can deduce the truth from many sources including statements, transcripts, news spots, etc. “Usually, there are no simple answers because there are few simple problems. On the contrary, most of the problems we must face…are quite complex” (14) is a principle offered by Patten for one to deduce the following lesson: “Because there are no simple answers, a simple answer is likely to be wrong.” He goes on to describe the reason people tend to believe simple statements about complex issues is ““People want to believe that there are simple answers. And because of that will to believe, time and time again, they are duped.”

To further hone one’s wit, he goes on to state “Most people tend to take the easy way.” and explains the countering lesson “Avoid mental laziness. Work at thinking…Cure yourself of mental laziness by resolving…to force yourself to think ” (19).

Technology has freed us on many levels. At a moments notice a person can post a personal decree from the back seat of a taxi, to a website viewed by millions. In many ways, our generation is faced with information overload and in a survivalist response mechanism this generation has begun to tune out. “Generation Y workers have a reputation for experiencing boredom and frustration with slow-paced environments.” (eWeek.com) According to Jill Geisler, each successive generation has become more open-minded as time passes, forcing previous surviving generations to open their minds as well.

Moving closer to the truth is one of the driving forces of our cultural evolution. In 1895, Thomas Bayard wrote, “Evolution, not revolution, is the quiet masterful force now leading the progress of a civilization” (43) It is imperative for a being of any reasonable intellect to maintain truth in their own minds as well as in their dealings with others. One should never summaries of important issues, or much for that matter, at face value. One should always question if an issue’s proposed solutions hold true to humankind’s inherent freedoms.

Dr Hawkins describes the level of truth of humankind as rising as time passes. In light of all events that have transpired on this planet, is it not evident that our species is marching towards a freer, truer unified society than at any other time in history? It is finally evident that the intense, determined preservation of freedom and an untiring search for the truth are vital to the success and evolution of our species.

The closer to the truth a person stands, the clearer the picture is of how it affects them and others. The truth is an essential ingredient in human freedom and in self-governance; the truth is the most vital part of our government. This truth forces an evolution of our society. When reading this, one should be open-minded and willing to consider the total effect these variables have on one’s own life and perception. In order to make educated decisions one must first educate oneself with the truth.