The truth is relative, which is itself a relative statement.
Relative to scientific inquiry, for instance, the pursuit of absolute truths in an attempt to understand the world as it actually exists is a useful approach.
Relative to social discourse and cultural values, however, the concept of absolute truth becomes exclusive and harmful.
When we interact with each other in social settings, we often group ourselves together on the basis of what we consider to be true. And the more important the subject, the more passion with which we assert the perceived truth of our own group’s beliefs over the beliefs of other groups.
There are plenty of arenas in contemporary society that are susceptible to the damage of polarizing opposition.
Colin Kaepernick knelt during the National Anthem to protest police brutality and racism in America. When questioned, he said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”
Last week, Hillary Clinton spoke at a Democratic fundraising event in New York Cityto a crowd of campaign supporters and said, “To just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables.”
In both instances, a public figure makes a definitive statement about a divisive issue. The issue to which the statement is relevant has two prominent sides, and the public tends to believe that the truth belongs exclusively to one side or the other.
Do black lives matter or do police lives? Should Republicans lead the country or should Democrats?
The problem is not in deciding which side to take. The problem is in the side-taking act itself, or at least in the contemporary conception of what it means to take a side.
Acknowledging the legitimacy of an opinion other than your own does not require you to compromise your morals. You are simply consenting to an empathetic engagement with people whose experiences are not the same as yours.
Black Lives Matter is an important movement that strives to defend the value of a historically marginalized culture. Its efforts to reduce violence against blacks should be seen in common with the protective desires of police officers, rather than as something that places these groups in opposition with each other.
You can support Kaepernick’s gesture without insulting law enforcement agencies.
Regarding the election, it would not be wrong to suggest that our ultimate and collective goal is to do what is best for our country.
So if we consider social truths to be relative to the experiences and beliefs that inform them, it makes more sense to educate ourselves on those experiences and beliefs than it does to be “grossly generalistic” about them. When looking to make positive change, appealing to what you learn about someone’s perceptions is more productive than dismissing them entirely.
You can try to understand why people are the way they are without making excuses for them or accepting behaviors with which you do not agree.
The truth is relative, and exploring truth from another person’s perspective is likely to serve you well.
mareklei@indiana.edu
@foreverfloral97
