The Problem of Truth

Macmillan Dictionary defines "truth" as "the actual facts or information about something, rather than what people think, expect or make up." Now, this is interesting. Who gathers facts? Who interprets facts? Who disseminates facts? It is people, of course. Did it ever dawn on you that "truth" has been caught in a vicious cycle, off late — as long as [mortal] people are involved in it?

Today, there is no end to the war on the "monopoly of truth." Mainstream Media, Politicians, Scholars, Celebrities, Shifty Shiffff (Ooops, I was referring to WHO's changing health guidelines) and Layman claim to have the truth on their side on any particular subject. Everybody is eager to prove the veracity of their truth claim by sharing evidences and appealing to logic. And then everybody also have different evidences to disprove the truth claim of another. So, who is correct, actually?

In light of such confusion and chaos, COVID-19 pandemic seem much more palatable (sorry, pun intended), when compared to the daily exposure of warring truth claims. And strangely, the group which has been affected the most is not the [digital] poor — who has always been kept in the dark of things — but researchers, who spend painstaking efforts in observing any phenomena scientifically through a neutral lens. There are more questions now than answers.

Thanks to Cornell psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger — researchers, by the way — on their stupendous work on cognitive bias. Their study says people who are incompetent (or little competent) at something are unable to recognize their own incompetence. Due to illusory superiority, people with low ability at a task tend to overestimate their ability. Bingo !

But, herein lies the problem of truth — how much is how much? At what point in time, can you say a person is competent or even, incompetent? In fact, the eponymous "Dunning-Kruger Effect" tries to address this dilemma too: the more you know about a subject, the less you would feel confident, as you then realize there is a whole lot more to your big story. 

This makes me wonder what is truth? And, if at all we find it, how to convince others of the truth? After much analysis, arguments and headaches, I have come to the wobbly conclusion that truth cannot be taught — particularly, in a post-modern world, where truth has become relative. Truth has to be felt in order to remain true. And that means, learning professionals like us, should strive to appeal more to the learner's heart than their mind.

P.S: The word "truth" described in this article is purely in human terms and doesn't include the transcendent.