What is “the truth” really for?
from the book “Useful Not True”:
You don’t want a drill. You want a hole in the wall. So what do you really want when you seek “the truth”?
You can gather raw facts, but there are infinite facts, so you select and filter and interpret them. Like cotton plants or sheep’s wool, facts are processed before they’re used. Is that seeking the truth? Or just material for a story?
Maybe you’re preparing for arguments. You want facts as weapons to defend your viewpoint and attack theirs. Facts can win a battle but not a war.
Maybe you’re making a big decision. You want to feel well-informed and certain. But that’s an emotional state unrelated to the facts. You’ll ignore a mountain of evidence if you hear one good story against it or just feel yourself leaning the other way. Most emotions can’t be persuaded.
You need to feel good about your choices. Emotion decides. Facts rationalize. You’ll find whatever truth is useful.
Ask yourself why you want the truth. What do you plan to do with it? What’s the real outcome?
Its something on the horizon to aim for.