ELISA ENGLISH's Blog 英語園地

This article is my reflection of a cyberspace event which happened to some people whom I encountered.  It is sometimes amusing to watch things that went on the cyberspace.  Watching it is like watching a soap opera unfolding in front of my eyes.  By the way, I don’t watch soap opera.  I consider it a waste of my time.  So why would I spend my precious time watching a cyber soap opera.  Oh, it is just to get ideas for my articles and sometimes to interact with others.  Do I interact with people online?  Yes, to the extent that I feel comfortable and have time since most stuff to me is trivial.  If you get to my age and when you have a family of your own, you would understand how I feel about priority.       

On Truth

Is there common-sense philosophy?  Don’t ask me.  I have trouble understanding Philosophy 101.

What is truth?  Are the aspects of reality all relative?  What is existential truth?      Will my truth be always considered the truth of someone else?  Do we all live in our own truth?  What is the absolute truth?  Does it live in the relative?  Is it relative to perspective?  If you ask me to tell the truth whether stinky tofu is delicious or not, I would say “yes”.  Is it the truth?  It is as true as I can tell you.  However, in your perspective, something stinky could not be delicious.

Is truth always absolute?  It depends and it varies.  Truth can be nebulous.  Oh, the subtlety of truth!  Does precision equal truth?  If we are not precise, are we not telling the truth?  If you won a lottery for one hundred million US dollars, would you tell the whole world about it?  I guess not unless you want to invite burglars to your house.  Would strangers accuse you of not forthcoming without telling them about your small fortune?  How about your friends?  What if you tell an incomplete story?  Can you just tell them that you got some extra income?  Are you under the obligation to tell your friends everything?  To what extent do you have the obligation to tell the strangers anything?      

I am getting old and my memory fades.  Do I intentionally or unintentionally tell you part of the story?  Pardon me.  I can’t remember everything I said.  Luckily I still remember the term I recently learnt: A.A.A.D.D (Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder) and that I am not alone as my memory goes downhill.  As a matter of fact, my brain just automatically filters out things unworthy of my memory commitment as a defense mechanism. 

Of course, if you are a public figure such as a politician, you may have the obligation to reveal all truths and not just part of the truth.  By the way, I just remembered a news I read a couple months ago about John Travolta's announcement of a new addition to his new family.  At that time, he didn't specify who or what the new family addition was.  To me, it is his privacy whether to reveal it or not.  I really don't care.  The new addition could be a dog, a baby or whatever it could be.  If I make any speculation and reach the wrong conclusion, could I blame or condemn John Travolta for not telling me the truth even if I am his close friend?  Did he not tell me the truth?  Does he have the obligation to tell me everything instead of bits and pieces?              

Written by Elisa English, 版權所有

On 11/14/2010 in Minneapolis.

Modified on 11/15/2010