A phrase that annoys me is "living in your truth." I hear it from many people who use their "truth" to justify their vices or group identities, which change more frequently than some people change the channel. The way I have most often heard it used is one in which "truth" is subjective and divorced from reality. Imagine my horror when I first heard my hero, Dr. Jordan Peterson, utter this same phrase. Had he been any other person I would have been dismissive of its use as well as his/her message, but because of my admiration of the man and his positive impact on my life I have decided it's best to ask for your take. Perhaps you'll lend some insight to Dr. Peterson's use of the phrase so his use of it won't bother me anymore.
What does "living in your truth" mean to you and what do you think Dr. Peterson means when he says it?
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.To me, it's nonsense. It originates in the new age philosophy of epistemic relativism in the 1960s that has since been absorbed into mainstream American culture and the political right. [theatlantic.com]
The fact that Peterson says it reveals his hypocrisy when he accuses the the left of "postmodernism," a 1960s stereotype that he stretches solely to use as a cudgel against people who don't follow traditional gender roles.
It stems from his Jungian influences.
WilyRickWiles
Level 8
Apr 16, 2019
2
People Live by their own version of the "truth". In many ways they firmly believe that they are noble, and virtuous by their own understanding of it. They create a world around this understanding that supports their view, belief, and perspective. They act and think within that world as they understand it. Through their eyes, and understanding, they are living in "truth". But that is not always the full picture of reality, in extreme cases, these people believe that they had to "cut the head of off the guy sitting next to them on the bus, because they believed him to be a demon". This act is horrifying, but to that person it's a reality, and they act on it.
The actual truth might be very different from what they perceive it to be. But through their personal experience of the truth that they understand it as, they are 100% correct. Even though they might be dead wrong. They will use cognitive dissonance to affirm that truth even when presented with indisputable facts. Some will even kill before agreeing with your "truth" because they are so deeply invested in their own truth. Hopefully I explained myself well... I hope this is what you were seeking to clarify.
Wolak
Level 5
Apr 16, 2019
2
I think JP's approach to this is more nuanced than simply your truth. I can't remember the exact conversation in which I heard him talk about, but I think it was on a Joe Rogan podcast. It was something along the lines of things that may be untrue can still have a kernal of truth to them, or promote a factual idea.
It can skirt closely to the allegorical notion.
But I could be incorrect regarding this.
kravmaga
Level 5
Apr 16, 2019
1
I think I understand what you're saying. I also think social interaction is requisite for better understanding of what is true. In speaking the truth as one sees it the feedback from those who hear it can help the speaker recognize what is actually true, but I suppose the opposite can occur when the feedback is from ignorant or malicious people.
Never heard it. Same as liveing your lie?
Gerri4321
Level 7
Apr 16, 2019
1
I've heard him say "speak your truth" much more often than the variant I wrote in the original post. Also, I have to admit that my brain may have concocted the variant of "living in your truth." It would be intellectually dishonest of me to say that isn't a possibility. I have found in my "wretched and miserable life" that I'm often wrong. Haha
I HATE that phrase. Can you link to the source on JP? I only remember him criticizing the idea.
chuckpo
Level 8
Apr 16, 2019
0
I've watched about 40 hours of his videos in the past four days. I'll go track it down, but it may take some time.
@nomadicmike, haha! I feel ya. There's a lot there, and these aren't 2 minute sound bites...
@chuckpo Ain't that the truth! Here's a video in which he says "speak your truth," which, again, if said by anyone else, would make the hair on my neck stand up.
I'm still looking for the "live in your truth" statement. Maybe my brain is paraphrasing him. I hope I'm wrong about that.
@nomadicmike, thank you for posting that. I actually think that's different. I don't think he's saying 'your truth is THE truth'. I think he's saying say what you think is the truth and pay attention when you get a lot of passionate pushback, because that's how you can hone in on the real truth.
I think we're talking about the other side that's steeped in this post-modernist idea that all our truths have equal value--they can all be true simultaneously, because presumably there is no single objective truth.
My interpretation of this is say your truth until someone squashes it and then fix your truth to the degree you can, and then say that new truth until people squash it. Through the process, we all get closer to a single objective truth.
Thoughts?
@chuckpo Yep. That's what I took from this video as well. I'm still searching for the "living in your truth" statement, but the "your truth" portion of the phrase is what irks me most. In the context of the discussion you and I have been having, "living" in your truth sounds more like a passive and/or defeatist approach, as if the person saying it is comfortable with their version of the truth even though it might not actually be true.
@nomadicmike, yeah. I've been think a lot over the last several days about taking a stand on things. I've been involved in some conversations about free speech, and while I'm very close to being all in on that stance, I have reservations. What does it mean to allow unfettered free speech? Does that mean we should sanction reprehensible speech in schools--to young children? Businesses? On message boards?
One of the problems is people are wrong suggesting you counter reprehensible ideas with more ideas. When has that ever worked? Which hate-group has abandoned their position to superior reasoning? It doesn't happen. And, for good reasons. Hate speech isn't reason--it's emotion. You have to appeal to bigots' emotions through emotions--emotions validated by reason, but emotions all the same.
Anyway, I got sidetracked. In our case, 'speak your truth' is too broad. Do we still want you to speak your truth when your truth is morally reprehensible? The left doesn't mean that. It's all a lie. Speaking your truth only counts when you're speaking THEIR truth--when it aligns to their worldview. OUR truth is not truth at all and should NEVER be spoken. But, there's a difference between most of our truths and reprehensible speech. What does it mean to all free speech? The question is too broad, and it ignores important nuances because people don't know how to reconcile those nuances. Lot easier to pimp a slogan that's imprecise and vague.
SO, this is an example of a broader problem; we're not operationally defining our terms. We're losing too much to vague, imprecise language. And the 'speak your truth' slogan suffers from the same limitation. It's allowed to exist because nobody ever asks exactly what does that mean? Even the individual 'speaking their truth' is very imprecise on the conditions necessary for that to have any real meaning. Imprecision + strong feelings = MY truth. Yuck.
Anyway, I feel like I'm babbling in a circle.
Oh, @nomadicmike, I want to add a term to see if this one gets you too. 'Truth to power'. Okay, go!
@chuckpo Karl Popper has something to say about countering reprehensible ideas. No Jungian archetypes needed! [en.wikipedia.org] It has elements of game theory. Speaking of which, this is fun: [ncase.me]
@WilyRickWiles, this looks really interesting, but it's going to take me some time to get through it. I'll probably check it out tomorrow, Wiley.
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