There is a powerful idea pervasive in daily life that truth is completely relative. We go so far as to use the phrase, “your truth.” We are encouraged to accept that everyone has a truth based on some compilation of their own perceptions and beliefs.
This is certainly correct in some regard. After all relativity is a scientific concept, and it seems to be common sense to accept that everyone has some interpretation of the environment that they are influenced by.
However, it is definitely inaccurate to claim that truth does not exist outside of perception. If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to see it, did it actually fall? Of course it did. Of course truth is negotiated by people with different experiences. Of course, truth exists independently of any one individual perception. Both of these concepts are correct, at the same time, they are not mutually exclusive.
The powerful concept is that both of these concepts have a source. The first source is an individual’s perception of reality. The second is actual reality, the ultimate source of truth. Pretty important to seek that source whenever possible.
Guy Reams
