Truth is what you get other people to believe!

Thank goodness for friends. I didn't know what I was going to write about today, but I opened up gmail to find that my friend Balika saw my blog and the idea of "truth" struck a chord with her. She sent me the text of an acceptance speech by Tommy Smothers at the Emmy Awards this past weekend:

Tommy Smothers, accepting an award commemorating the "Smothers Brothers" comedy hour, quickly turned to politics.

"Freedom of expression and freedom of speech aren't really important unless they're heard," Mr. Smothers says, clutching the Emmy and wearing a purple tie. "So the freedom of hearing is just about as important as the freedom of speaking. And it's hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war." (Mild applause.) "And there's nothing more scary than watching ignorance in action." (Loud applause.) "So I dedicate this Emmy to all people who feel compelled to speak out, and not afraid to speak to power, and won't shut up, and refuse to be silenced."

He seemed to be about to leave the stage, then returned to the microphone to add "one last thought." The word truth exists in every language, he says, and adds: "Truth is what you get other people to believe."

Talk about drama...but of course, it is the Emmy's! Seriously though, his comments on freedom of expression and freedom of speech are noble, idealistic, and naturally I couldn't agree with him more. Problem is, he undercuts himself in that last line, "truth is what you get other people to believe." So essentially, we all have the freedom to say whatever we want (and with the Internet, we truly do!) and regardless of efficacy, those preachers, reporters, writers, bloggers, etc. who are more convincing will have their ideas rise to the top as truth?

I actually don't agree that truth is what you get other people to believe. Most people's beliefs are ingrained in them by the time they're adults, so you're not likely to change anyone's beliefs. Instead, I think truth is when you say something that most people agree with. Example: Barack Obama is a Muslim. 19% of rural Americans believe this statement is true. So in a town like Findlay Ohio, Barack Obama is a Muslim. " It's a fact, my dad told me so." But in Washington, DC, my own town, Barack Obama is clearly not a Muslim. I'm not suggesting that Washington holds the high ground on truth, but this just goes to show you that truth is what most people believe, and that truth looks very different depending on where you are.