Every statement of truth by a person (that is, the abstractions they make) is an expression of Desire. Put more practically, when people say “this is true” they are saying “that is how I want the world to be”. It is an assertion of authority (again in the literal sense – the ability to author or create), an assertion of the person’s intentions. Even I’m doing it, right now.
This effect is inescapable. All it means is that statements of truth are more like conversations on what an actualizer values. The mistake comes when we treat our own truths as more valuable than others’ truths – we attempt to reify them as objective truth, rather than accepting them as contextual, subjective, and impermanent abstractions.
The temptation to do this, however, is probably one of the most powerful we have. The ego’s drive for survival, for permanence – to escape death – constantly seeks to universalize its truths. It does this not only out of a need for the abstraction of control; it is also the way the Ego seeks to escape entropy – the need to constantly do work in order to become.
The irony to this drive is that to achieve universal truth would mean an end to the power process, and the death of the Ego. It is, sadly and not quite clearly, a path to destruction. I would not be so bold as to say this has always been a drive of the Ego, either – it may have become a deep part of our basic human abstractions a long time ago. But it certainly not required for the Ego to exist (like many other abstractions), and it can be extremely useful to be rid of that drive. Achieving Ego death through ritual can give us perspective on our own statements of truth and quiet or even tame this drive.
Being aware of this, I have found, is somewhat incredible to behold. Your perspective on people’s thoughts and opinions of themselves and the world change instantly – and also the drive to prejudice. Once it is realized that it is something we all do, it changes the way you can interact with others in a way that, I have found, is much more loving. The conflict of argument, the back and forth attempt to make your truth “win”, melts away.
The new question becomes: “what values are this person expressing?”
This question is the basis for true personhood.
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.