First of all, my stand on the whole truth issue would be "Everybody is a liar when they say they only tell the truth and everybody is hypocrite when they say they only want to know the truth."

So which one are you? the one who only tell the truth or the one who only wants to hear to truth? I hope the answer is neither. Anyway, I'd like to categorize people into different categories of truth listeners. (1) Some of us only want to hear the truth that they want to hear (I hope that does make sense). (2) Some of us only want to hear the truth that we can handle. (3) A few of us simply want the truth. Bear in mind that all of these are said from an observant point of view because I believe that if asked, almost everybody would, without hesitation, answer that they simply want to know truth no matter what. So to me it's not what they say or think they are that matters. It's how they react and respond to the truth that being told to them. For example, if you react angrily and respond violently to certain news or thing, I don't think anybody would want to tell you about it.

In my life thus far, I think most of the people that I've met and known belong to the first 2 categories. Those who belong to the first categories unconsciously are mainly those of lower education level and minimal life experience. A for those who're conscious about it, I believe they chose to be that way. Why? I think they just find it happier that way. Most of my closer peers are in the 2nd categories. Hence, needless to say that's where I am. But to what extent can we handle different type of truth? Honestly, I think that's very much depends on what each of us as individual went through and learned in our lives. For instance, my friend who's very knowledgeable would most likely be able to accept a greater truth of knowledge whereas I, who came from a society where death and violent is a daily routine, would most likely be able to handle more emotional truth. I remembered when a friend of mine told me he could play chess blindfolded. I was like there no way in hell anybody could do that, at least not anyone of my age. I was skeptical and cynical. So I denied the truth. Of course, the reasons to that is a no-brainer. It's because I don't believe/think it's possible. I haven't seen anybody does that before. I think he's just bluffing to show off. etc. etc.

What then? Prove it. And when he did, that's when the real test comes. Whether I can handle the truth or not? Some people , like me, would simply go "Wow!, that's awesome!" That was simply because I'm not chess player and has no interest in chess whatsoever. So to me, this is pretty much a cool magic. But imagine, if I were a chess player who spend my life playing chess and never for once the possibility of this has ever occurred to me and suddenly I meet this guy. There could be 2 outcomes. Either I'll be enlightened or devastated. If you actually amplify, this simple brainless scenario many times and bring the scenario to things like political truth, conspiracy theory, environment, super power, outer space, science... you name it. There is simply no room for us to be able to handle or accept them all. Most of the time we're just so confused that we don't even know it. Hence, we simply choose to believe what we think is true or who we think is telling the truth. This is where the whole world is thrown to chaos just because there simply cannot be a universal truth for everything. They are very much accepted under perspectives. Therefore, knowing, believing, and accepting knowledge and truth has become a test of faith, self-judgment, and resilience. And knowing has a snowball effect, the more you know, the more you will know. Finally, it will come to point where you find yourself knowing too much to tell. This is where I have a hypothesis that the more truth we know the higher tendency we have to lie. Most of the time, it's not because we don't want to tell. It's either just because we simply can't tell or we don't think the person is ready for it or we don't feel like telling or etc...

I think the best book that exemplifies the whole truth issue is Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. But again I don't read that many books, so I guess this the best among the few that I read. According to the book, the things that blind us from the seeing the truth is not just our ignorance and arrogance but also our knowledge and experience as well. Ignorance can be enlightened but knowledge is very difficult to be unlearned especially when one has already have complete faith and belief in his/her knowledge. Most of the time, the truth that a knowledgeable person find it hardest to accept would be the ones that he/she can prove and argue otherwise. The problem with that is we often try to prove/argue sth's wrong base on what we know and what we've experienced. Needless to say, there's obviously a limitation to that. Nevertheless, we tend to be blinded by our confidence and faith in our knowledge that it prevents us from being to able to fathom greater knowledge. If there is anything we learn from history that would be the advancement of mankind is very much credited a small group of individuals who faithfully believe in the impossible truth.

Ironically, for me, 1 of the most truthful things a person ever said is "I lied."