The Pursuit and Practice of Truth
A perplexing paradox
“If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.” — René Descartes
Truth has been a reoccurring theme for me lately. As I delve deeper into meditation, connect with nature, and declutter my media diet, I feel my awareness shifting and expanding. This newfound perspective compels me to question the known and unknown, seeking fundamental truths that guide my life.
What Is Truth?
Most often, truth is defined as “that which conforms with fact or reality”. But what constitutes reality? Is it the logical reasoning we’re accustomed to? Does it lie in the realms of mathematical theorems, or perhaps in the documented words in a textbook?
The pursuit of truth is complex. For instance, can I devise an equation that quantifies and validates the profound love I have for my children?
While logic offers a powerful tool for understanding our world, I can't shake off the feeling that consciousness and reality transcend mere logical interpretations. Truth, as I've discovered, carries an emotional weight. When we are in its presence, it often stirs an inner peace within us.
Pause, listen, and you might feel the resonance of truth vibrating deep within your being. Interestingly, lies and deception trigger a visceral discomfort, a sensation almost as tangible as physical touch.
I believe this is why authenticity is such an important and powerful trait to embody in our daily lives. Its absence wreaks havoc on our individual health and the societal fabric that binds us.
Truth Is A Paradox
The Liar Paradox demonstrates that truth can sometimes contradict logical reasoning through recursion or self-reference. Consider the statement: "This sentence is false." If the sentence is true, it contradicts itself, making it false. However, if it is false, then it validates itself, rendering it true. This creates a paradox where the sentence can't consistently be true or false.
Furthermore, the interpretation of truth can shift based on perspective. According to quantum mechanics, the reality we perceive is influenced by our observations. Quantum systems exist in all possible states until the act of observation forces the system to 'collapse' into one state.
Now, imagine if multiple observers - two, ten, or even a million - try to observe the same object or concept. Can a universal truth emerge from these myriad perspectives, each collapsing their own realities?
These questions grow even more relevant as we navigate the digital age, characterized by an explosion of information. We are bombarded with content, news, opinions, product advertisements, research studies, and more, all vying for our attention. How much of it is true? Is there such thing as one single truth? How can we know?
I don’t have all the answers, but here’s…
What I’m Practicing
Find Serenity: Practice mindfulness to quiet the mind. Through the noise, you will find inner wisdom.
Cleanse the Body: Eat whole foods, drink water, fast, purge the chemical junk clogging up your system, get good sleep, exercise.
Know Thyself: Recognize your patterns of thinking, your behavioral tendencies, and your biases. Then let them go.
Embrace Open-mindedness: Welcome new perspectives with curiosity, not cynicism.
Demand Evidence: Seek substantiated facts to support the information you encounter.
Evaluate the Source: Question the credibility of the information source. Who are they? What are their motivations?
Follow the Money: Identify who stands to gain from the information presented. Are their economic incentives misaligned with your best interests?
Understand the Context: Analyze the broader circumstances surrounding the information before drawing conclusions.
Experience it: Don’t take someone else’s word for it. If you truly want to know, see it, feel it, do it yourself.
What I’m Doing This Week
Gratitude
I’m grateful to have dedicated time with my children. To observe them, find joy and presence in each moment, and to show up for them as the best possible father I can be.
Lesson Learned
There is a vast difference between knowing the path and walking it.
Listening to
River by Leon Bridges
Watching
Zach Bush MD on the Root Cause of Disease
For all the decades studying and practicing nutrition and health, and then experiencing and working in the healthcare industry, I’ve come to realize most of the answers to good health lie in the basics.
Nature is the ultimate medicine. In fact, all of the medicines we use today are derived from nature. Our disconnection from it is at the root of much of our disease and suffering. Science is finally catching up to this realization, but the western medical industrial complex is not incentivized to do so.
Reading
UFOs are the story of the century — wake up, America! by Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet
Not everything is at it seems. People are waking up. But not everyone. It’s time we reconsider our place in the cosmos, our role as a species, and what it means to be united and at peace with it all.
Self-care
Nature, sunlight, fasting, dieta, pullups, fascia work, meditation