“I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives.” – Leo Tolstoy
You need not be like most men (or women). You can be uncommon in your untempered and humble acceptance and profession of truth. To do this you must come to the point where you care more about your internal alignment with truth than you do about everything else on the outside. It really is as simple as that!
I’ve often marveled at the limited value people tend to place on truth. It seems as though it is considered to be one value among many, and commonly enough it doesn’t rank highly when push comes to shove!
What does rank more highly? Egotistical concerns, concepts in which there has been heavy investment, comfort and routine, crafted images of oneself or others…there is no doubt a longer list, but in fact the truth is the ONLY primary value, simply because without it nothing else is more than a sham, simple or elaborate. Not hard to change one’s value system when this is recognized!
LikeLike
Great series of profound quotes here…..what I gather is that there can be no compromise with the truth of things, in life, if you wish to remain sane and untroubled. Any shortcoming would imply the creation of some avoidable and preventable chaos I would think.
As a human being grows in stature, this growth is predicated on his approximation to truth.
LikeLike
It really is that simple, isn’t it! Anytime we feel like things are convoluted or unclear, it’s time to check our internal alignment. If we are lined up with that truth, and self-concern is not our priority, answers will come easily and those problems will turn into opportunities.
LikeLike