"Can You Handle The Truth?", part 2

Wednesday Wisdom

by Jay Jay Speaks

February 8, 2012

“Can You Handle The Truth?”

Part 2

In searching for “THE TRUTH” those who desire to know it must be willing to take hold of the painful reality that what they find may be other than or contrary to their preconceived idea of reality.

We often bandy about phrases such as “the truth shall set you free,” taken from John 8:32 (KJV) “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” but what many don’t count on is that being set free is a painful, gut wrenching, birthing process from which you can never return. Think back to the movie The Matrix, starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburn. There is a scene in The Matrix where one of those who “knew the truth about life being a façade and the machines harvesting humans for food, wanted to make a deal with an “agent” (a representative of the Matrix) to be removed from this state of “knowing and reality” and placed back into the matrix, clueless and under the same false reality that the rest of mankind existed in. He knew the truth but found it too unbearable to continue so, he desired to “un-know” and go back to a state of pleasant ignorance.

The truth, it seems, is powerful. The truth can be painful. The truth will set you free but it will hurt and sometimes it will hurt a lot. Sometimes the only thing we can think of to stop the hurt is to go back to not knowing the truth, but once you know, “ya-know” and well…that SUCKS.

We can split hairs and created long winded explanations of what is really true or who’s truth we’re are referring to and perhaps that would be an enjoyable exercise for intellects or academicians to participate in one day. But for the purposes of this entry I’ll use Dictionary.com as my reference point. So if there is a dispute, I will quote one of my mentors Dr. Jack A. Taylor, when I say, “Don’t argue with me argue with my facts.” Dictionary.com defines truth as; the true or actual state of a matter, conformity with fact or reality; a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like; actuality or actual existence. So based on this foundation I caution you all that if you are seeking “THE TRUTH” be prepared to be in pain. I don’t mean to suggest that “THE TRUTH” will always hurt, but I am suggesting that sometimes we have allowed ourselves to falsely believe in the pleasantness of a lie, or distortion. Sometimes we say we want to know the truth, but the magnitude of that request is unknown because of the arrogance of our ignorance.  We believe that the truth will coincide or confirm what we already believe or think. When we flaunt our self-exalting beliefs to this level we are setting ourselves up for a painful fall.

Just like Col. Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicholson) in the movie A FEW GOOD MEN, life attempts to prepare us for the impending blow by telling us “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH.” Sometimes life tries to back us off because it can see the plunge that is awaiting us if we continue to pursue “THE TRUTH.”

Sometimes “THE TRUTH,” “THE WHOLE TRUTH,” AND “NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH” is more than we are prepared to handle. Sometimes the truth is:

·         It’s not our partner’s issues that are ruining our relationship. It’s ours!

·         The other person doesn’t love us!

·         Our parents are not the perfect representation of manhood or womanhood we wanted to believe they were!

·         Your child did do it!

·         Your child is not hanging with the wrong crowd, but your child IS THE BAD INFLUENCE on the other kids!

·         Your partner DOES love you, but still made a devastating decision to betray your trust.

·         That dress doesn’t make you look fat. YOU’RE JUST FAT!

·         It doesn’t happen to every guy, and YOU ARE NOT AS GOOD AS HER LAST BOYFRIEND WAS IN BED!

·         You didn’t get the job because you’re not qualified or you just don’t have the experience they wanted!

·         Your life isn’t working out the way you thought, and it is YOUR FAULT!

·         People are not “hating” on you, you have a BAD ATTITUDE!

·         That man you’re waiting to marry you IS NOT GOING TO MARRY YOU!

·         You are not “BIG BONED” you are considerable overweight!

·         What you were taught about God ISN’T REAL!

Whatever the situation or scenario, if you are a true “TRUTH” seeker you must prepare yourself for the reality that once your find the truth it may hurt your feelings, confirm your beliefs or shatter your world. I guess one could say that “THE TRUTH” doesn’t care how you feel about it or how you react towards it.  The truth is what it is and it doesn’t apologize for being what it is.

The truth is there all along, often just beyond our comfortable grasp. The truth is always looking at us, even if we don’t see it.

Ask yourself, “Can I handle the truth?” If you answer “YES,” buckle your seatbelt and try to enjoy the ride. If you answered “MAYBE” not sure, take my advice and leave it alone. If you answered “NO” I respect your response and say to you, good luck.

Regardless of your response don’t wait until next week ask the question, ask yourself today, answer today and live your life accordingly.

Do it today, on HUMP DAY!