Comedian Stephen Colbert developed a word he called “truthiness”. Colbert defines it as “truth that comes from the gut, not books. The word became so popular that is was named by dictionary publisher Merriam- Webster as the 2006 word of the year. So, this three years old but the truth never gets old. It just is.
From a spiritual perspective, what can be more important than the truth? Conversely, what can be more difficult to attain? Although we can easily grasp the critical need for truth intellectually, the capacity for emotional readiness is yet a huge challenge. Enclosed here are three suggestions why living the truth is so difficult:
1) The truth vs evaluation.
In a stand-up comedy contest I entered, a young man who used notes won the contest. Notes in stand up…that’s original. The contest was rigged. He won because he brought the most paying customers to the show. In work, how many employees get truthful evaluations? Flaws and deficiencies are often sugarcoated or ignored to make it easier for the manager and save face for the employee. The employee “saves face” but lives in an illusion losing his heart and soul in the process.
2) The truth vs for profit.
There are a lot of illegitimate companies making money from the naive and the elderly. The world of advertising is filled with misleading information and at best half-truths. Next to politics, the world of selling is probably the most challenging arena to be honest. The truth often is in conflict with closing a sale. We frequently hear the favorable about a product without hearing the flip side.
3) The truth vs the mask.
On the level of humanity, a difficult choice for many people is diplomacy or honesty. Diplomacy frequently masks words to avoid honesty. Why are making this a dual choice? Alternative possibility: Be honest by using a skillful means within diplomacy.
The above examples are challenges to us in our society. Colbert says the truth comes from the “gut’. To me, it comes from the inner consciousness emanating not from the mind but from our being.
It is a lifelong process to discover our truth. The truth is not about the content of who I am but about my consciousness of being. It begins by discovering that we don’t know ourselves. It is not about me… I am honest, I am smart etc. It is about I am. That’s it. If you wish to explore this suggestion further, please read the best seller; ‘ The New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhardt Tolle.
