Does truth matter?

Standman

I was reading an interesting thread on the Atheism forum about the importance of the credibility of the god concept in peoples religious beliefs:

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055309669

What some people are suggesting is that if something makes you happy then it may not matter whether or not it is true i.e. consistent with facts/reality.

Is there any objective value to truth when it comes to being happy or making sense of why we exist?

Joe1919

They say "ignorance is bliss" so perhaps those people who follow the herd ( or go with the flow) and dont question religion or look for an objective reason are the happiest.
Unfortunately, I am not one of these and think that there should be some objective truth, although this cant really be found for certain.

scop

Depends on what kind of truth we are discussing? Correspondence? Aesthetic?

I'll abide by the poetic for now:

'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.'

Standman

Is there actually anything wrong with the "ignorance is bliss" concept if it doesn't have any detrimental effects on other people?

kelly1

Standman wrote: »

What some people are suggesting is that if something makes you happy then it may not matter whether or not it is true i.e. consistent with facts/reality.

Is there any objective value to truth when it comes to being happy or making sense of why we exist?

To my mind I think the crucial question is whether there is life after death i.e. do we possess immortal souls.

If the answer to this is no, then knowing the truth doesn't appear to be all that vital. Our illusions may not have much lasting effect.

If the answer is yes, then knowing the truth is absolutely vital.

In this case we need to know whether God, Judgment, Heaven and Hell exist. These questions are absolutely fundamental in the grand scheme of things.

Someone can choose to reject God in this life and forfeit life in Heaven only to spend an eternity in Hell, knowing what we could have had had we lived according to God's law.

What is the truth? Do all religions or only one lead to God? Or is reincarnation true? If we believe reincarnation to be true and it turns out that we have only one life and that Jesus is the only way to God and that we face judgment when we die, that kinda leaves us in a bit of trouble, doesn't it?

John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Standman

kelly1 wrote: »

To my mind I think the crucial question is whether there is life after death i.e. do we possess immortal souls.

If the answer to this is no, then knowing the truth doesn't appear to be all that vital. Our illusions may not have much lasting effect.

If the answer is yes, then knowing the truth is absolutely vital.

In this case we need to know whether God, Judgment, Heaven and Hell exist. These questions are absolutely fundamental in the grand scheme of things.

Someone can choose to reject God in this life and forfeit life in Heaven only to spend an eternity in Hell, knowing what we could have had had we lived according to God's law.

What is the truth? Do all religions or only one lead to God? Or is reincarnation true? If we believe reincarnation to be true and it turns out that we have only one life and that Jesus is the only way to God and that we face judgment when we die, that kinda leaves us in a bit of trouble, doesn't it?

John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

I don't really want to get into a debate on which religion is true. I'm not necessarily even reffering to religion. It could be anything, like believing that wearing a locket around your neck protects you from disease, or one of the many pseudo-science's that are around today.

If it makes you happy or gives you a sense of security, does it really matter if it true in the physical sense? Again, is there any objective value to real, testable truth?

Joe1919

Standman wrote: »

Is there actually anything wrong with the "ignorance is bliss" concept if it doesn't have any detrimental effects on other people?

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

But, think of the holocost and the Nazi's and the dangers of following the herd. It's important that at least some people are sceptics and persue some type of objective truth.
Perhaps this diversity is a good thing and we get a balance, with most people following the herd (thus given stability and continunity), while a smaller section remains sceptical or outside the herd, in persuit of the truth or allowing the possibility of change or the possibility of radical new ideas been successful.

scop

Standman wrote: »

Is there actually anything wrong with the "ignorance is bliss" concept if it doesn't have any detrimental effects on other people?

Depends on the ignorance. What if your ignorance leads you to not notice the irrationality of a political movement or stops you from creating a novel idea that benefits people etc. I think knowledge leads to openness of mind. Always a good thing.

Standman

scop wrote: »

Depends on the ignorance. What if your ignorance leads you to not notice the irrationality of a political movement or stops you from creating a novel idea that benefits people etc. I think knowledge leads to openness of mind. Always a good thing.

+1

Sardonicat

Maybe the truth won't make you happy, so it's value doesn't lie in that.

But for that matter, what is the value of happiness?

If you believe that wearing a magic amulet can protect you from disease which you then go on to catch then I think you would learn pretty sharpish the value of truth in that particular scenario.

Why do we hate being lied to so much? If you were dying would you want to know or would you prefer to be left in blissfull ignorance til the end?
Do you think it would be better to prepare yourself for your death and complete the things you want to complete before you go and say the things you need to say to your loved ones?
Or do you think it would be better to keep living as you would had you not known.

Depending on which you choose, which would leave a "truer memory" of yourself behind?

spoutwell

If the 'truth' you believed all your life turns out to be false, it wasn't 'true'. There's no guarantee this won't happen with all the stuff we believe, and believe in. So clinging isn't such a clever idea.

nyarlothothep

Truth, urgh, ok...

basically, there is subjective and objective types of truths, both are equally valuable albeit in different contexts. If someone believes in a god this their unique interpretation of the universe, its true to them and is valid insofar as they are concerned. As long as they don't start claiming it as something objective and imposing their values on others its ok. Imo we all have our own interpretations of existence. I should probably read up on theories of subjectivity/objectivity (though I'm fundamentally lazy)...but if all thoughts/interpretations happen within existence would it not suggest that at a higher level, in the history of the universe, the subjective and objective are entangled?

ChocolateSauce

I believe it does. Call it my scientific nature, but I'd rather know the truth, even if it meant unhappiness. Only by knowing the truth can you strive for a better tomorrow with a solid foundation.

However, in my life the truth has universally meant greater happiness. Even when I find out something that makes me sad, I'm glad I know it.