Laughing Toward Truth: Six Tips for Lighthearted Thinkers
Do you believe in the power of your convictions?
It's time to lighten up.
People love attaching themselves to ideas. We can get pretty
feisty when one of our beloved beliefs is challenged. We're too
busy defending to spend our time analyzing.
Truth has a tendency to get in the way of our beliefs. We like
having our rules to live by, our reasons for feeling righteous,
and our excuses for ending intellectual exploration. Just as we
climb up a ladder, we like counting on certain rungs to hold
steady. Thinking about cracks just makes us uneasy.
That approach works if your goal is to reach the top, but it
doesn't allow for much examination or lateral growth. Plus,
there's always the risk that you'll come crashing down.
Quick quiz: What fills you with more satisfaction-- being right
or discovering the truth? Of course, the best scenario is
discovering that you knew the truth all along. Validation is a
huge motivator. That's why we find it more exhilarating to win
an argument than to learn more about the other side.
It's kind of like that whole "life is about the journey"
concept. The thrill is in the seeking. We've forgotten that.
It's as though we went on a treasure hunt, stumbled upon what we
thought was the hidden booty, and now we've become complacent.
What if what you found wasn't the real treasure? What if the
whole point was to keep looking?
Thinkers have been wrestling with the concept of truth for ages.
Socrates was fond of saying that there are only two kinds of
beings who do not need philosophy: the gods, who are already
wise, and the fools, who think they are wise. We want to be in
that large middle group of people who recognize their lack of
wisdom and continue their quest for truth and knowledge.
It's helpful to be reminded that our role as humans isn't to
figure things out--it's to KEEP ON figuring things out. Don't
take my word for it. Here are some truisms about truth from some
formidable thinkers.
#1 "The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence
whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the
silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is
more likely to be foolish than sensible." Bertrand Russell,
British mathematician
Can't think of any widely held absurd beliefs? You're not trying
hard enough! Fashion, pop culture, politics(gasp!) religion, and
virtually every other arena of modern life is full of examples
of ideas that have somehow taken hold but defy logic. Good
Thinker rule number one is simply this: Never accept an idea
just because everyone else does.
#2 "Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and
Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods." Albert
Einstein, American physicist
Leave it to Albert to maintain that crucial sense of humor and
humility. The more we know, the more we get a clue about how
much we don't know. At least, that's the way it's supposed to
work. You probably know people who haven't quite come around to
that realization yet. Get there now. Accept it, celebrate it,
and keep on thinking.
#3 "Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who
find it." Andre Gide, French writer
Your best bet is to hang out with those who are happy to admit
that they don't have all the answers. As friends, co-workers and
party guests, they tend to be a lot more fun, anyway.
#4 "Chase after the truth like all hell and you'll free
yourself, even though you never touch its coattails." Clarence
Darrow, American attorney
Play the game and have some fun with it, even if you never
score. Remember playing games with your friends way back when
you were five? You didn't have a clear sense of the rules or
even the point of the game, and neither did anyone else. It
didn't matter. The reason you were playing was to simply enjoy
the game, even if that meant making it up as you went along.
Approach truth-seeking like a five-year-old playing a new game.
Don't get caught up in the regulations, and don't keep score.
Who cares who's winning?
#5 "And we should consider every day lost on which we have not
danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which
was not accompanied by at least one laugh." Friedrich Nietzsche,
German philosopher
Nietzsche saluted the creative force that feeds us. Despite a
life of ill health and misery, he recognized the value of joy in
the seeking of truth. Most of us have it a whole lot easier than
Nietzsche. We have no excuse for not laughing.
#6 "Truth is mighty and will prevail. There is nothing the
matter with this, except that it ain't so." Mark Twain, American
writer
Truth doesn't rise to the surface. You've got to dig for it.
Truth doesn't automatically rule; fallacies with excellent
public relations campaigns tend to dominate in our culture.
Truth isn't easy, but it isn't supposed to be. If you want to
dive into the human experience in all its glory, you're going to
be wading through a lot of ideas masquerading as the truth.
Think for yourself, and have some fun with it. Look for truth in
the unlikeliest places. Find the absurdity in every idea.
The best philosophers have loads of laugh lines. Start creating
yours. You'll become a better thinker, a happier truth-seeker,
and a more excellent human.