What is Personal Truth?

Ritergal · Jan 17, 2008

Last night I had an intriguing conversation with a couple of memoir-writing friends around the topic What is Personal Truth? We didn't come to any conclusions, any absolute truth, but we did list several possibilities, like "Personal truth is your read on things," and "Personal truth is evolving. There were more, but for now I'm leaving it at that.

I'm intrigued with this topic, and I'd like to have more ideas. What do y'all think Personal Truth is?

aka eraser · Jan 17, 2008

Personal truth is looking into your soul's mirror without flinching.

Little Red Barn · Jan 17, 2008

aka eraser said:
Personal truth is looking into your soul's mirror without flinching.

I don't think there's a better example out there. Hit the nail right on target, Frank!

KTC · Jan 17, 2008

Also...the truth as the teller sees it. Which doesn't always match with others' truths. Well...never, actually. A story told through the eyes of 10 people will be told 10 different ways. You tell it without flinching the way you remember it.

Shadow_Ferret · Jan 17, 2008

aka eraser said:
Personal truth is looking into your soul's mirror without flinching.

What exactly am I looking at? Not sure how this is an answer at all.

To me, personal truth is your own life experiences. It's along the lines of subjective truth. It's how you perceive reality.

jerrywaxler · Jan 17, 2008

Ritergal said:
Last night I had an intriguing conversation with a couple of memoir-writing friends around the topic What is Personal Truth? We didn't come to any conclusions, any absolute truth, but we did list several possibilities, like "Personal truth is your read on things," and "Personal truth is evolving. There were more, but for now I'm leaving it at that.

I'm intrigued with this topic, and I'd like to have more ideas. What do y'all think Personal Truth is?

This question is so open, Ritergal. It's like a Rorschach test. I could project almost anything I want on it. How about this. Personal Truth is valuable when it's part of your story. The thing that ties your life together, and makes it meaningful is Truth for you. That's why I love memoirs. If you can find the Story you can find the Truth.

Jerry

Ritergal · Jan 18, 2008

A thought from an old movie/song came into my mind as I read previous posts:
Truth means you never need to say you're sorry.
Well, sort of, but some days my Truth is sorrow. Other days it's joy. So, Truth is me.

Leah J. Utas · Jan 18, 2008

Personal truth is how your life was for you and you alone. It is the reality of your life as experienced through your own lenses and filters.

Ruv Draba · Jan 22, 2008

Ritergal said:
I'm intrigued with this topic, and I'd like to have more ideas. What do y'all think Personal Truth is?

Personal truth is why you have the consequences you don't deserve, and why you don't have the consequence you do.

DWSTXS · Jan 22, 2008

I think it's your 'perception' of an event, a feeling, a situation.....therefore....pretty much all of these answers are correct.........in their own way.......we all see the world through the same, yet different eyes.

After all, who was it that decided to call a chair a chair? and why call a cloud a cloud, or a dog a dog? Some of us, typically the creative types, have other names for these objects, or at least we see them in ways others don't. When we write, we're just trying to explain why we might call a chair.....a pfnitlockle..........or somesuch.....

just my 2 cents worth.

Shwebb · Jan 22, 2008

Sometimes I think it's what's left when everything else has been blown away by the winds of change in our lives. Yeah, including our clothes. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Melisande · Jan 22, 2008

I've learned that my personal truths keep changing with new experiences, people I meet, the weather and whatnot. They change but are true non the less at that specific time in life.

Daehota · Feb 12, 2008

Wow, Ritergal, pretty philosophical we're getting around here! What is personal truth? I'd say that 1.) it's where your own internal moral compass leads you, and 2.) the things you learn along the way that you apply to your behavior.

That's all for now.

Daehota

What is Personal Truth?

Ritergal

aka eraser

Fish Whisperer

Little Red Barn

haz own threads

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

jerrywaxler

Ritergal

Leah J. Utas

Protecting Teddy with all my might.

Ruv Draba

DWSTXS

Mr Mojo Risin...

Shwebb

She's the creepy-looking dude

Melisande

Daehota