“The discovery of truth is prevented more effectively, not by the false appearance things present and which mislead into error, not directly by weakness of the reasoning powers, but by preconceived opinion, by prejudice.” ~ Arthur Schopenhauer

Mankind tends to orbit the truth as Halley’s Comet does the earth. At times he is close, intimately familiar as a result of his proximity, while at others he barely perceives it, it’s faint glow barely visible in the night sky. His orbit is self-described and his course is determined by the clarity of his vision and the purity of his thoughts. He longs to be close, to know, to see, yet any measure of prejudice or preconceived opinion of any kind clouds his atmosphere and darkens his vision, blocking his discovery of the truth.

Most profess a desire to know the truth, yet few stand in its light once introduced. The light of truth burns bright, illuminating all in its presence, regardless of its condition. All that is incongruous with it is revealed as such, which perhaps explains why so few dare to approach and remain in close orbit.

Bearing the truth in a world that has largely lost interest in the truth is a responsibility fraught with duty, yet as George Washington once noted: “Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.” I happened upon a poem that illustrates the point beautifully, written just over a century ago by African-American poet, Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer:

DUTY, or TRUTH AT WORK.

The discovery of truth is a moving process and is not a static state of oneness, once known. It unfolds in relation to every circumstance, every moment, if stewarded properly through a clear heart and a mind conscious of right. If your heart is troubled, you are not in position to see or hear the truth. Likewise, if your mind is cluttered with preconceived notions or worse, encrusted with prejudice, the truth will be just beyond your reach.

Some will have you think that you must empty your mind to be able to receive the truth, a belief which may have merit in the sense of it being free from those things which are in conflict with the truth, but I say that your mind must be in peak condition, honestly skeptical, ruthlessly critical and keenly observant if you are to perceive the truth amongst the great mixture which man through all of his opinions has created.

It was once said that knowing the truth “make(s) you free.” Why is that? Free from what? For starters, free from everything that doesn’t matter, that has no relevance to the living of a successful, happy and generative life. It also frees you from subjection to those who would seek to control or use you. These are just a few of the reasons why knowing the truth would be important and let me be clear, I am not speaking of adherence to a particular religious philosophy, for the truth is possessed by no one. Knowing the truth is much more than a passport to a happier resting place.

The truth is unifying principle. It sits above human opinion, yet relates to all human affairs. Its design is holistic, its function harmonious. You are capable of discovering the truth in and through your living, but it takes courage, determination and a sense of duty that is not hushed by self-concern or subdued by the derision of those who fear it.

“The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.” ~ Winston Churchill