Truthful Resolutions

So this is a paper I wrote for my English class. It is something that I am passionate about and was kind of proud of this little essay. It's not the best writing in the world, but apparently my teacher liked it a lot. It is copied and pasted, so little in-text citations are still included. Just ignore them :)

On a hot, sultry day, Chicken Little sought relief from the sun under an apple tree. The branches leisurely swayed with the breeze and Chicken Little deeply sighed in contentment. About halfway up the tree an apple stem could no longer support the weight of its fruit and slowly began to detach itself from the branches. Finally, with a sudden burst of wind, the apple wrenched itself from its mother bearer and catapulted towards the earth. Unfortunately, it had the misfortune of splitting Chicken Little’s comb.

Startled, Chicken Little jolted to his feet. He looked one way, then the other. What had hit him in the head? There seemed to be no indication to Chicken Little as to whom or what had been the devious offender. He looked up and noticed the clear sky. Not a cloud was in sight to drop such projectiles. A sudden thought struck him: the sky must be falling! Yes, that was it. His breath became shorter; his chest heaved with alarm, and his heart began pumping wildly. He had to warn the world that inevitable destruction was soon at hand!

Undoubtedly, there were those who believed Chicken Little. They may have trusted that what he said was true. They may have trusted his judgment and been sucked into the growing, popular belief. Similarly, if we do not discover truth for ourselves, we will be forced to accept shifting, unstable social beliefs.

What is truth, and how do we discover its authenticity? From the Doctrine and Covenants we learn truth is “knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come” (93:24). The inference may be made that truth is invariable. We can discover truth by examining, questioning, and studying.

First, we must examine our subject. This is essential because in order to form questions, we must first understand what it is we are questioning. In examining, we need to find out what information is being presented on the subject. However, in the process of gathering information, it is likely we will come across information that is not adequately valid. One must keep in mind that “the value of information, facts, figures, and the like, depends on what we make of it—on judgment” (qtd. in McCullough, 2008, p. 2). Drawing from reliable sources and using information relevant in its context is important.

Then, we must question our subject. When questioning our observations, we can better come to understand:

By questioning [Socrates] believes that at some point, after they have cleared away all the rubbish, the interlocutors will figure things out, discover the principles that ring true, that make sense of things. Questions thus reign supreme, for only questions, not lecture, can give birth to understanding. (Merril, c. 1999, p. 2)

Speculation increases interest and opens up for more study. It facilitates our ability to refine our thoughts and look at the information we gathered with an interpretive eye.

Abigail Adams once said, “Learning is not attained by chance. It must be sought with ardor and attended with diligence” (McCullough, 2008, p.2). This process of studying our subject requires a conscious, concise effort to find what is being sought. Faithful and strenuous study can enhance our perspective by compelling truth to step through barriers of false pretence, guile, and enmity, and into the perceptible light. Only by diligent study can conclusions be attained.

The research and conclusions reached should be done with all humility and with the acknowledgment that we are subject to human error. “One can have all the facts and miss the truth” (McCullough, 2008, p.2). It may be that we find our assumptions were wrong and the day may come for reconciliation.

We should, when we feel comfortable with our conclusion, desire a need for action. Knowledge alone cannot define our character. We are required to act. “For [studies] teach not their own use, but that is a wisdom without them and above them, won by observation” (Bacon, 1597, p. 1). One ought to come up with a definite list of resolutions that are in accordance with his/her newfound knowledge. It is easier to live by such resolutions when they are a substantial part of a mindset before opposition is ever encountered.

Why is reaching and being loyal to our own resolution important? Powerful influences of the world that we may not acknowledge in our daily circumstances are prevalent. There is a constant appeal to authority. Religion and philosophies that uphold morals are pushed aside in the name of science and other theories. Scientists who belong to institutions of good repute gain respect based on their accomplishments. Somehow these facts give them a right to refute absolute truth. It becomes increasingly more difficult to oppose views condoned by a prestigious circle of society. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “I am ashamed to think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institutions” (1841, p. 3). He understood how this appeal to authority could limit our own reasoning.

Another tactic of persuasion, and perhaps a little more familiar to all, is the bandwagon approach. The bandwagon approach is where a belief is accepted on the pretense of safety in numbers. If a wide populace is embracing an idea, it becomes more widely known; therefore, it must be a safe idea. Influence is especially prevalent when we observe that which is most widely used, praised as effectual. While unable to see the alternatives, we assume the product or practice is more desirable, and we slip into the conformity of public trends.

A similar practice is the adherence to social norms. These are social practices that seem to be a part of society. Some of these norms are harmless: such as, giving people space when you talk to them, tipping a waiter, walking on the right side of the side-walk, etc. Adversely, some social norms can be harmful. “The other terror . . . is our consistency; a reverence for our past act or word, because the eye of others have no other data for computing our orbit than our past acts, and we are loath to disappoint them” (Emerson, 1841, p.5). Some cultural rituals have become our way of life, and we are afraid to “go against the grain” because we would be looked at for our differences—not our brilliance.

It is human nature to fear differences and being refused acceptance. Such persuasions are hard to resist. They are almost seamless with the ways of life that seem to ring a tone of familiarity in our ears. Distinction between what is benign and what is malicious requires discernment. If we yield to enticement, we will be “tossed . . . with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). Thus, a life must be lived in accordance with its own principles.

The individual must obtain truth (not decide what is true for him/her) as an intrinsic property. It is not acceptable to accept ideas that are believed on the basis of popular acceptance. Boyd K. Packer once told a story about a classroom of children who had found a kitten. As the class excitedly gathered around the animal, they tried to determine if it was a boy or a girl. One boy suggested that they could determine the kitten’s gender if they voted on it! Even if they had voted, the truth could not be altered (1993).

There is a choice: we can either believe all we hear, or we can critically think about the information and use judgment. Perhaps Chicken Little’s friends would have been better off if they had thought through the prospect of the sky falling. They might have discarded the idea and avoided undesired stress. Instead, they fell into the trap of popular belief. Unfortunately, a dark haze of deceit, errors in logic, and lack of information can obscure truth.

As avid critical thinkers, we can determine the course our lives will take. “The quality of one’s thinking determines the quality of one’s life” (Merrill p.2). We can take responsibility for our lives and the decisions we make if we intentionally think through them. If we do not decide where we stand before we are confronted with a choice, we will likely chose what is familiar to us. What is familiar to us is often what we are exposed to most—not necessarily what is best or most efficient. We may seek to reach decisions of our lives on our terms and refrain from complying with socialized behaviors and beliefs that have been unconsciously instilled in us.