What's the truth?
Is it your truth or mine that is the ultimate truth?
Can there be more than one truth?
Can we hold more than one truth, allowing multiples to exist at once?
Someone told me of a fictional book with a world populated primarily by atheists. Soon, however, the human desire to find individual identity and belonging led to the creation of smaller groups with varying views and unique identities, creating an "us versus them" view of the world. These different groups of atheists began developing other ideas, new ways to view the world, and unique living practices. This led to wars and battles between the atheist groups to determine who was the correct group and whose truth was the right one—all the while forgetting their origin, forgetting the things that make them more similar than different.
Aren't we all fighting for the same thing? Can't we hold more than one truth at a time? We are all human, with our own unique experiences and perspectives, but at the core, we share the same humanity. Understanding and accepting this shared humanity is the key to embracing multiple truths.
There was a beautiful sentiment that I had taken from a Native American Philosophy course, which was that Indigenous people held their own beliefs and ideas of the world and spirituality. Yet, they were still open to learning about settlers' religion. Missionaries dedicated their lives to preaching Christianity as the one correct truth. While Natives accepted it, they continued to hold their truths of the Great Spirit and the historical stories that connected them to their land. Unfortunately, this was not enough for the growing colonist population, and the government ordered Natives to attend boarding schools, which taught only Christian ideals and kept them from their families and the lessons and ideals of their people. Only one truth would be tolerated.
I used to laugh at the idea that history repeats itself, believing that humanity could never make the same mistake twice. But we continue to struggle with the same battles and evils in new forms and disguises. The same is happening in the Middle East; a powerful oppressive group that moved not long ago wants to claim the land that another group has lived on for centuries. They will not allow the other group to co-exist with its own beliefs, values, and way of life because they contradict their own and get in the way of their ultimate power. The danger in believing that you hold the one correct truth is that your world becomes small, you create competition with everyone outside your group, and in extreme cases, you justify waging war on those who differ from or oppose your views.
To some extent, is this not happening in our country today with the polarization of politics? Can we respect that others have their own backgrounds and histories that have shaped them and their beliefs and views of the world? The U.S. is a melting pot with a vast population and many resources. Can we make peace with our growing, diversifying world, or will we spend our energy trying to fight it? Can we challenge ourselves to step out of our beliefs to hold space for others? Can you accept that while other people's truths may contradict your own, they are just as worthy and valid? Can you recognize that other's lives, with their ups and downs, struggles, and celebrations, are just as beautiful as yours?
Cultivating empathy and understanding that everyone's truth is valid and worthy of respect is crucial. When we do, we build a better world while opening ourselves up to more possibilities.

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