I can never know anything is true.
The closest I can get to knowing something is true is believing it’s true.
When I go in search of the truth, there is infinite evidence in every direction. I will find evidence that says one thing and I will find evidence that refutes that evidence. I can sift through evidence forever.
But I don’t. At some point I stop.
When do I stop?
I stop when I am satisfied.
I choose to believe what I’m hearing when I find myself feeling the way I want to feel about it.
If I am determined to feel small, I believe all the evidence that supports my feeling small. And I discount the rest.
If I am determined to feel superior, I believe all the evidence that supports my feeling superior. And I discount the rest.
If I am determined to hate someone (say, the president), I believe all the evidence that supports my hating them. And I discount the rest.
Whether I want to feel...
free,
or humble,
or right,
or justified,
or persecuted,
or wronged,
or afraid
or at peace...
...Whatever I’m determined to feel, I’ll stop investigating the evidence when I find enough evidence to support that feeling.
Often the desired feeling exists at a subconscious level.
I may not WANT to be afraid on the surface, but if at a gut level I believe I need fear to protect me from imminent harm, then I’ll see it as important to feel fear. This will lead me to accept scary things as true simply because they’re scary, not necessarily because they’re true (which I can’t know). My determination to protect myself from harm and not miss any danger leads me to accept scary things as true and discount anything that doesn’t scare me. (This is how paranoia sets in.)
Conversely, if I am determined at a deep level to feel a sense of love and connection with someone (say, my child or significant other), my search for truth will not be satisfied by their dismissive behavior or a remark that they “hate” me. Even though they may come right out and say it, I won’t believe it. I’ll keep looking until I land on evidence that there is in fact a deep love and connection between us and THAT will be the evidence I accept as true.
I can never know anything is true. I can only believe something is true. And I will only ever look for evidence until I am satisfied.
What I’m willing to believe is a function of how I’m determined to feel.
It’s important to understand this because what I believe shapes my whole experience of the world.