Q&A: Is There One Truth in the World?
Is There One Truth in the World?
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Is there one truth in the world?
When I’m in the middle of an argument, should I think that on one hand I’m right, but on the other hand there is also room for a different opinion? Doesn’t that mean there is no truth at all?
Answer
These questions have been discussed here more than once.
It depends on what kind of question it is. But there are questions for which there is only one truth. For example, factual questions, like whether or not God exists. If one side is right, the other is wrong, and vice versa. You should weigh the possibilities and in the end decide according to your best understanding. You have no other option except your own tools of judgment. That doesn’t mean what you decided is necessarily correct, but it is the truth to the best of your understanding. Therefore, it’s worth being attentive to other opinions so you can weigh them and make decisions in the best possible way.
Discussion on Answer
There’s a lot, and it’s hard to point to all of it. Do a search.
For example, in columns 247–8, 328, and many others.
244
Before you deal with truth, it’s worth understanding falsehood.
See here for a respectable list of cognitive biases that lead a person to adopt false perceptions.
https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/cognitive_bias
Could the Rabbi point me to where this can be read about?
For example, about additional types of questions and so on.