The Kooky Evasion of "My Truth"
I used to be fond of protecting myself from oldtimers in AA by stating that the Big Book, 12 Steps, and sponsorship did not help me get sober. If pressed, I would claim that this was "my truth" as if truth could be personalized and pluralized. If there is truth, i.e., if there is a reality beyond my understanding and perception, then it is singular and unknowable by definition.
The early philosophers and shamans posited a world-beyond-the-senses to make sense of inconsistencies in our perceptions – the most accessible examples are tricks of sight such as the refraction of objects by water. A stick is placed in the water and seems to bend. I place my hand in the water to test this, and my forearm seems to bend. Obviously, water bends objects which are placed in it. However, my visceral three-dimensional body-awareness does not tell me that my arm has bent or changed its location, and this creates an inconsistency in my understanding of what is happening. This confusion was finally accounted for by Newton's theory of optics and refraction.
So is Newton's theory "true"? Do I "believe" Newton's theory?
Let me content myself to say that the theory gives us more exact ways of predicting what will happen, and these predictions have been borne out by repeated tests. These results have given us the confidence to build new technologies which assume the correctness of these theories. And these new techologies have proven useful over time. I don't believe Newton's optics; I use Newton's optics.
I now see my claim to a personalized truth as just one last vain attempt to hold on to the fable of "truth" – to feel like I was part of the group – one of the believers. The point is: use whatever you can to get yourself sober and to get back in the game. Do not make the mistake of generalizing your personal understanding of what got you clean and sober into blanket statements of what is good for all addicts at all times. If you do make the mistake of saying that the methods you think got you sober will actually help someone else get sober, you will be practicing medicine – negligently and probably without a license.
I also now see my claim to a personalized truth as a lazy claim to authority – without all the tedious testing and argument. If it is only my truth, then I can repeat it forever, disregarding the people I hurt who follow my lead, and there's nothing you can do about it because I was only asserting my truth.
But am I only asserting my truth if I want other people to take me seriously. If I want you to listen to me, am I not trying to get you to agree to our truth.
As it stands, truth is better left to the imaginary gods who have access to it. Let us concentrate on repeatable methods and results. When newcomers ask what to do with all the time they have after getting clean, don't give them another kooky book on spirituality and narcissistic introspection – tell them to study art, literature, music, medicine, history, physics, and law.
The early philosophers and shamans posited a world-beyond-the-senses to make sense of inconsistencies in our perceptions – the most accessible examples are tricks of sight such as the refraction of objects by water. A stick is placed in the water and seems to bend. I place my hand in the water to test this, and my forearm seems to bend. Obviously, water bends objects which are placed in it. However, my visceral three-dimensional body-awareness does not tell me that my arm has bent or changed its location, and this creates an inconsistency in my understanding of what is happening. This confusion was finally accounted for by Newton's theory of optics and refraction.
So is Newton's theory "true"? Do I "believe" Newton's theory?
Let me content myself to say that the theory gives us more exact ways of predicting what will happen, and these predictions have been borne out by repeated tests. These results have given us the confidence to build new technologies which assume the correctness of these theories. And these new techologies have proven useful over time. I don't believe Newton's optics; I use Newton's optics.
I now see my claim to a personalized truth as just one last vain attempt to hold on to the fable of "truth" – to feel like I was part of the group – one of the believers. The point is: use whatever you can to get yourself sober and to get back in the game. Do not make the mistake of generalizing your personal understanding of what got you clean and sober into blanket statements of what is good for all addicts at all times. If you do make the mistake of saying that the methods you think got you sober will actually help someone else get sober, you will be practicing medicine – negligently and probably without a license.
I also now see my claim to a personalized truth as a lazy claim to authority – without all the tedious testing and argument. If it is only my truth, then I can repeat it forever, disregarding the people I hurt who follow my lead, and there's nothing you can do about it because I was only asserting my truth.
But am I only asserting my truth if I want other people to take me seriously. If I want you to listen to me, am I not trying to get you to agree to our truth.
As it stands, truth is better left to the imaginary gods who have access to it. Let us concentrate on repeatable methods and results. When newcomers ask what to do with all the time they have after getting clean, don't give them another kooky book on spirituality and narcissistic introspection – tell them to study art, literature, music, medicine, history, physics, and law.
posted by Troy Spears at 9:26 AM
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