Q. Does the truth
change depending on how people look at things?
Many great minds have
pondered the very question of truth. Does truth change depending on the point
of view? Although they have not reached a consensus, many seem to be in the
opinion that there is only single absolute truth. However, after a careful
study of the issue, one would be able to conclude that truth can change
depending on one’s perception. Compelling examples such as The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison and the Schrodinger’s cat experiment bolster my view.
If one looks at a fact
in a particular way, that is the truth for that person even if It isn’t for
another person. For example, in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Pecola
has a fanatic belief that being white and having blue eyes will make her look
beautiful. After a series of events, she turns insane and believe that she has
blue eye, when in fact, she doesn’t. Because she believes that she has blue
eyes, she thinks that she is beautiful and that becomes the ultimate truth for
her even if others don’t think so. In this sense, one’s belief can distort the
truth.
Likewise, there are
aspects of life that have several truths depending on how people look at them.
For example, in the Schrodinger’s cat experiment, the cat in the box is
considered both dead and alive at the same time. Because the only way for
people to find out whether the cat inside the box is dead or alive, the cat is both
dead and alive until we open the box. During that time, if a person looks at
the box saying the poison killed the cat, then the cat is dead. However, if
another person objects by saying that the cat is alive, that is also true. In
this sense, an absolute truth can be distorted.
Yes, there are irrefutable
truths such as water is consisted of two oxygen molecules, but those
irrefutable truths are infinitesimal compared to innumerable other ‘truths’
that a person believes and perceives.
Is it that truth is
something absolute and impeccable? It is very tempting to answer in the affirmative,
but at length, one can conclude that truth can change depending on one’s
perceptions. Both my examples clearly demonstrate this view. In short, truth
changes depending on how people look at things.
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