What Are Your Truths?

This thread has great potential, I think.

I've discovered quite a lot, but one thing that's fresh on my mind is I've discovered that I value self-integrity over altruism, which has helped me to be more self-centered without feeling guilty about it. I used to just be rather giving, then I became a self-absorbed angry basketcase that couldn't assert myself or help others. Now I can help others while being clear on my own boundaries of what I think is right for me to give.

 

What will die? Can you really be sure of that?

(Sorry, couldn't resist the temptation )

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Unfortunately, I'm still searching for my truth.

 

I think what's tricky about defining ourselves is that we are all multi-faceted and have many warring parts within ourselves. Anytime you feel conflicted, that's two different parts of you disagreeing. Also, in split-brain patients you can actually see two different selves emerge, with stories of one hand holding back the more impulsive one from mutilating a despised individual.

I cannot say I know what a person who is detached from his ego would see in his own self-image, but I do think that all people can see behaviors in themselves that are less authentic for the sole reason that it feels unnatural. Kinda like putting on an accent or imitating another person's behavior to make fun of them. Yes, being gregarious one day and reserved the next might feel perfectly natural, but perhaps you'd never feel that being touchy-feely is who you are, regardless of how much people expect that of you.

I'm having to catch myself in trying to give advice on getting in touch with your 'true' self, considering it's not something that seems to concern you.

 

You can probably add in any core beliefs and values you have, if you have any that seem stagnant.

Most personality traits probably wouldn't fit in here, as those tend to be more "I am not" rather than "I am".

 

my truths? surely they'd be true for everyone?

truths about myself... hmm. introspection is an endless pit. that's what i've discovered. you can dig forever and still not know yourself. perhaps the only way to know yourself is to not try to, but to let your character be unveiled to you naturally over time..

 

So true. I think we can only really know ourselves through living. Introspection only works when we haven't already looked at something we've experienced closely, and I certainly handle almost all of that when it arises anyway.

 

Truth - There is such a thing as separation of self from others. There is an identity, a "self" which lives and breathes outside of everything else, although it's sometimes suppressed or oppressed to remain on reasonably good terms with the world.

 

My truth: I am always changing, so how can there be an "I"?

 

You don't have to live by their rules if you don't require their rewards.


This is something I tell myself so I don't get caught up in trying to be who everyone wants me to.

 

I have learned many things, some of which I might could call truths. I will share some that come to mind and possibly more later.

I see only what I am looking for in a mirror, and not all mirrors are the same. I must, therefore, be more careful where I look.

I am no more important than anyone else. Each person has their own importance to someone.

If I appear better at something than someone else, it may possibly be because I may have appeared just like that someone else at one point in time.

One from someone else: If you are digging yourself into a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.

I should never expect people to be just like me.

 

The truths of me? I could go on for pages. But here are three I have found for and about myself over the years:


* I am both a better and a lesser person than I think. Like anyone, there are things I give myself too much credit for (think too highly or just don't really examine close enough). There are also things that are very noble about me that are just part of my nature that I don't even consciously think about. I need others to point out these things for me to really see.

* I'm a dreamer and hopeless romantic and always will be. This can be very problematic in an adult with many resposibilities, yet I can't deny this in me. People have often sensed this and considered me naive in my younger years. A shame these qualities are considered so.

* I have a great desire to help and pass things on to others. The less confident me of the past put this on the back burner. I felt it was encroaching on people. Now I know how much I can help and how much I enjoy it.

 

I think it's important to state, before I write any of my so-called truths, that all of the below are subjective. None of them can be called absolute. I suppose that's because everyone's different and most people already know most objective truths.

Right. Here are some random ones:

People are smarter than average, dumber than average, worse than average, and better than average. If you're meeting someone for the first time, pretend you know absolutely nothing at all except what they show you. Give them the benefit of doubt until you know them better, but remember you can never know someone completely, only better. Only then will you even begin to know someone. You'll never discover people with any prejudice/bias.

Never be ashamed of what you like, otherwise you could end up hating everything. But then again, neither should you ever be content with what you already know or you'll stagnate. Search out for the great in addition to the good that you're already aware of, but never forget how you enjoyed your past loves.

The outside world and the inside world are always at conflict. Rarely is peace achieved. I haven't been able to grasp any satisfying conclusion past those two observations.

And of course, a very famous truth: L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

 

* I will always eventually dislike people I have to compromise my principles for. So I refuse to compromise for friendship's sake.

 

One truth that struck me early in life is that people tell stories, not truths, and not even beliefs. We are great story tellers.

One truth I know is that we sense a world through an animal's brain. We don't actually see what is, and yet we tend to assume this is worth more than it is. At the same time, we ignore the important interpretive aspects of our senses and their inherent value.

My belief ,based on this, is that modern society's materialism and fast pace is moving us further away from a sensory self and world, and more into a subconscious way of being. I guess that didn't entirely translate well into words. oh well.

 

"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are."

Also, never trust anyone with everything. Trust certain people with certain things, yes. And keep some things to your grave.

A few good friends are better than several that only pretend. But having a few that only pretend very convincingly, is far worse.