Photo Credit: Heather Coleen (and Carl V.)
I saw this week’s “Let’s Blog Off” subject and I knew I was in trouble. I have to be honest. I’ve spent very little time trying to figure out the difference between fact and truth. I guess that isn’t saying much for my intellect.
I always write my LBO content the Saturday ahead of the required release date and then just schedule it in WordPress. I really have no clue what everyone else is going to say. Chances are I’m going to learn a lot today, or, maybe I won’t learn anything.
Seriously, look at this quote by Aristotle on the subject.
“To say of what is that it is not, or of what is not that it is, is false, while to say of what is that it is, and of what is not that it is not, is true.”
I don’t have something quite so complicated and deep to share with you today. Rather, I have something quite simple.
I live my life in the ever shrinking space between truth and fact. I reach out to touch truth only to have it dissipate like a morning fog as the heat of the sun burns it into history. A history that mocks me as I pick up its pieces and try to assemble the facts like a puzzle with no picture. I clench my fist out of frustration as what I’ve put together doesn’t match what I was reaching for.
There is a difference between truth and fact, and it alludes my every attempt to understand it.
Actually, you deal with facts and truth every day. You ask the kids to pick up their toys. Later, you ask if they did so. Their answer is true or false, depending on the facts: they did–or did not–pick up their toys. Because you don’t want the mess, you’re certain to ascertain the facts of the situation. I think we need to be equally vigilant about those items we accept as truth on the evening news.
Yes, I do deal with them both every day but I have a hard time telling them apart. They do seem like the same thing to me but as you mentioned in your post if they were the same we wouldn’t have both words.
I can’t help but think they are ever so slightly different.
Thanks for coming by!
You make a great point and that is – it alludes us.
Thanks for reading, Bridget!
Going to catch your entry now!
This is a hard one. I am always looking for the truth but I make decisions based on facts.
Josh Bulloc
How can I help?
Now that’s engineer talk for sure!