A Fool's Secret Weapon

“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools...” – Paul of Tarsus (Romans 1:22)

If we believe there is a Truth that is defined by her accurate reflection of reality, then we could compare her to a statue in a yet untouched block of marble.

With each question we ask, the chisel is placed upon the stone and struck with a hammer, splitting off excess material to set free more and more of the statue’s form.

And Truth does not fear chisels and hammers, just as she does not fear being challenged with questions, for they only allow her to reveal herself more.

Lies, deception, falsehoods – they are not marble. They are more akin to beeswax, softening and hardening, vigorously shapeshifting to take on the form of anything but that which accurately reflects reality… anything but Truth.

And when we start asking questions to reveal the true nature of these lies, deceptions, and falsehoods, it is like placing a candle beneath this figure of wax. It begins to melt, unable to withstand the heat. As its schemes start to be revealed, it lashes out and stings like a bee.

If it is so, that Truth waits patiently to be set free and strike awe in the hearts of those who have the eyes and hearts to behold her…

If it is so, that her students spend countless hours toiling in pursuit of her…

If it is so, that deceptions melt and lash out when being tested by fire…

If it is so, …

Then why is the honest pursuit of Truth such an arduous journey?

And why are the voices that proclaim lies so persuasive?

- Because the understanding of those who pursue Truth is comparable to holding a potted flower, and fools have a secret weapon.

Let me explain:

Throughout history, man has believed many things that we now claim are false. We thought the earth was flat; we were convinced that children were born as blank slates (Tabula Rasa); and we believed letting blood flow from sick patients’ veins was a cure.

The list of things that were once believed to be accurate but have subsequently been disproved is very long. Knowing this, we can logically conclude that also today, there are many things we believe to be true that are simply false.

That is why we must treat our understanding of Truth like holding a flower.

We have to hold it loosely, allowing it to grow. Pursuing Truth is a journey, and our understanding of her must be allowed to grow and change. Our discoveries must mold and change us. Not the other way around. I cannot shape reality to conform to my preconceived notions. As soon as I do that, it is wax, and I fabricate my own little lies. But if my understanding is a flower, I can stand by my beliefs and live by them, but I must watch the flower as it continues growing. And I must change my ways as my understanding of Truth develops.

Just to be clear here: It is our understanding of Truth that grows and changes, not Truth itself. Truth itself is objective and uncontradictory, and we can only strive to know it better (read more about this in ‘Why the Truth Matters’).

What, then, is this secret weapon that fools possess?

- Ignorance, pride, arrogance… we could call it many things – perhaps most fitting is ‘the belief that they no longer need to grow and are therefore blissfully ignorant of how much they do not understand’.

So, while students of Truth carefully grow their flowers and know that there is still a long journey ahead of them, fools shape alluring wax figures that depict not reality but how others wish to see reality.

And while students share a message of nuance that encourages others to become students of Truth as well, to not mislead anyone, fools – like Odysseus’ sirens - confidently shout their opinions from mountaintops and ensnare those who find their message appealing.

This calls to mind a witty line by the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates:

‘Although I do not suppose that either of us knows anything really beautiful and good, I am better off than he is – for he knows nothing, and thinks he knows. I neither know nor think I know.’

And so, it is: Those who pick up the hammer every day and carefully chip away at the marble, use their words carefully to speak honestly and not mislead anyone as they are aware of their own shortcomings. They welcome criticism and take no offense to being proven wrong, for that is a helping hand assisting in their labor as they wield chisel and hammer.

And the fools who are either unaware or seek to deceive others mold enchanting wax figures and boisterously proclaim their grandeur. And they ridicule those who challenge their lies.

Finally, if you gain anything from this contemplation, let it be this:

Be a diligent student of Truth. Align your life with reality as you understand it now. Ask questions and rejoice when you recognize you have been wrong, for that is nothing other than a well-placed hammer strike unveiling part of the marble statue of Truth you did not see before.