“Whoever fights monsters
should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you
gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
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| “Truth is the purity of someone’s heart.” - My Mother |
While having lunch with a friend this week, I was asked what
I considered to be the most important thing to me. Being a family person and
family-oriented, my first thought was of them, and I quickly spoke it aloud. Yet, as I listened to his response, I paused. It was a pause of creation, whereby an inkling of new perspective mixed with a fallow mind willing to listen and receive. As he explained his take on things and the importance of honesty in his life, the seed of wisdom was sown. Yet, his question made me think long after our lunch was over. What is truth really?
I mulled it over, thinking about it from every viewpoint, considering all of its possibilities and if the root of the equation of life could be broken down to something so simple. Maybe, even as a metaphorical exaggeration, I seemed to move through the stages of grief as I felt the shifting of my paradigm from that of denial, to anger at the simplicity of it, to even a moment of despair; I even attempted to bargain for it to be something different until it finally registered. In that silent moment of contemplation, I began to understand the underlying
importance of truth and what it is.
What is my truth?
Art often imitates life, and it can be the great muse needed
for artistic expression. It can assist in revealing the layers underneath the everyday
mask through its cathartic-like therapy, and it can also be a welcome reprieve,
whereby one encounters great truth.
When I was a young child, not only could I not keep a secret, I couldn’t lie. The importance of honesty stuck with me all the way to the present. It's an intricate part of
my character. It is the foundation for the cornerstone of life. Although all truth is not free of interpretation, i.e., what is understood based on my interpretation through my sieve of experiences and senses, the absolute importance of honesty and veracity cannot be overlooked.
I like to consider myself a person with a little bit of
moxie, able to bounce back. I’d even surmise that I’m quite blunt in the things
that I say. I mean what I say and say what I mean. The lack of a filter has
sometimes served to my detriment, but it is still a part of the learning process and thus, the basis
for my happiness, success and ambition.
When we lie, we lie not only to others, but also to
ourselves. However, when we are able to have the audacity to live honestly,
then we are able to take the reins and drive toward what we wish to accomplish
in our lives, including the lofty ambition of happiness.
So, I look at the monster knowing the truth of what it
means, and I fear not that he may be looking right back at me.
TINA GLASNECK is the author of THOU SHALL NOT and isn't afraid of asking questions, challenging herself or even having a loud laugh-out-loud moment. When she isn't devising plans for world domination, researching various topics on Google or looking at funny memes online, she is definitely still trying to figure out the meaning of life, one philosopher, and murder, at a time.
Feel free to connect with Tina on Facebook.
