Warning: Long winded and rambling ... but it is the Truth ... at least sometimes.

Truth ... What is IT (that's with a big T) anyway?

Is it a universal fact that all things (including people) must be in agreement with?
Is it a system of beliefs that vary from one retelling of an ancient fairy tale to another?
Is it based on perspective? ... physiology? ... culture? ... psychology?
Is it a quest by humanity to try to define the roots of their own consciousness?
Is it just another unicorn, like so many people have chased through out time?

Let us define it first:
Truth (from Merriam-Webster):
1 a archaic : fidelity, constancy b : sincerity in action, character, and utterance
2 a (1) : the state of being the case : fact (2) : the body of real things, events, and facts : actuality (3) often capitalized : a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality b : a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true truths of thermodynamics> c : the body of true statements and propositions
3 a : the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality b chiefly British : true 2 c : fidelity to an original or to a standard
4 capitalized Christian Science : god

As you can see our outcome of any discussion of Truth depends on where we start ...
If we begin with definition 4) Truth = God and we're done ... we have a simple nicely contained definition for this elusive concept ... complete with books and pictures and societal rules to keep everyone in line. But, is that enough? Apparently not, as most of the ground work for this definition was laid out over a thousand years ago, and though the internet allows information propagation at prodigious rates, it hasn't convinced everyone yet.

How about definition 1) fidelity or constancy? Is that enough to satisfy our quest for big (T)ruth? To this definition I say it only defines little (t)ruth; fidelity, faithfulness, can be taken as tenets for a good life certainly but as an explanation for how minds and bodies and physics work it falls short, esp. since we keep finding things that break previously held theories of the way these things work(if nature isn't faithful to it's own laws how can fidelity be a natural law) ... and nature definitely isn't constant.

Def'n 3) The state of being in agreement with fact or reality ... As we've discovered in class 'facts' and 'reality' are both quite dependent on perspective; I feel that the top of the fridge is a good place to put the remote, someone else thinks it's a secret hiding place. Killing someone is bad; killing someone who is about to begin torturing one of your loved ones is slightly more questionable ... so no help from def'n 3)
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this brings us to definition 2) (I've saved the best for last):
Def'n 2 is the most interesting because it includes many of the concepts in the other definitions ... which is somewhat redundant in my view, but then proceeds to bring some doubt into the game , "a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or _accepted as true_" I accentuate the last phrase to point out that truth must be consensual ... much like everything else in life it depends ... 'depends on what?' you might ask ... and that's what we're actually looking for! ... What does everything else depend on? ... Does it depend on Quantum Physics? ... Does it depend on honesty? ... Does it depend on Mayan calendars and psychic crystal skulls? This question is a personal one and one we are all responsible to make for ourselves ... What matters to us? Is fitting into a clique in high school important? ... How about standing out rebelliously, just enough that everyone notices you, but you don't get kicked out of school? Do you need to make a lot ( ... tah-dah! ... a lot is always two words!) of money to have the freedom and recognition you crave? ... How far will you go to get that power and influence ... is it worth other peoples' freedoms? ... lives?

That to me is the big (T)ruth ... what do you decide is important ... hold that close and shape the world around you into one that accepts or demands that Truth from others.