Last week we began exploring the soul trait of Truth. For example, we discussed how flattery is different from praise. For one thing, flattery is motivated by some degree of manipulation, with the hope of personal gain in the short or long run. Praise, on the other hand, is more of a genuine recognition of a positive trait or accomplishment by someone. Notice that they key difference is not whether something is true or not; it is about the motivation of the speaker. Sometimes flattery can encompass saying something that is false, but other times flattery is relaying information that is factually correct. Yes, telling the truth in a manipulative way is flattery, and thus undesirable. You can see the recording here.

Truth is not the same as the absence of falsehood. Indeed, falsehood is easier to identify than the truth. Falsehood is something that is demonstrably inaccurate. For example, I say that I went to the store, when I really went over to my friends house. Therefore the opposite of false is “accurate.”

How often have you been in a conversation with someone where each of you walked away with a different version of what was said? Both of you have true but different versions of what was said. You are both accurately recounting what happened from your perspective, and thus have two versions of what is true. Other times, our opinions masquerade as the truth. Do I look good in this shirt? It is one thing to have an opinion that I do. It is another to assert that no other opinion is possible. Is so and so a terrible person? The answer is an opinion, not a fact.

The second week on Truth started with the statement “Is a baby step a big deal or not?” I shared an insight I had when working with grief clients that relates to this question. And we’ll also look at some of the traps that can lead us to falsehood. You can see the recording here.

Do you agree that Truth is not the opposite of falsehood? What is your take? As always, I’ll answer every comment