Veritas
Thursday after work I took the #2 train uptown from Penn Station to 96th street. I noticed out of the corner of my eye someone's small wrist tattoo "VERITAS". I started thinking about how much this little word, and the idea behind, drives us--makes us angry--and brings us closer to one another.
When Pontius Pilate questioned Jesus of Nazareth before his crucifixion he asked him "What is truth?" Pilate asked this existential question in reply to the assertion of Jesus that "Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." Well, who is on the side of truth, and for that matter, what is truth?
Grand ideas and schools of philosophy are driven by the search for truth--Existentialism has its pursuit of the meaning of existence and the value of the existing individual; different religions portray their own versions of truth; the media claims to put forth truth for the public; all types of literature involve this pursuit of truth, but really how does the quest for truth play out in our day-today lives?
We seek truth and generally find it comforting when we find it. Those people that we feel most open and comfortable with, those who we call our closest friends, are the people we actively live in truth with. And when there is some breach of this, these relationships are strained.
Within our own self, we seek truth as well. Our quest to be 'real' and 'useful' stems from this desire for truth. Most of us young post-postmodern people hope to make some sort of a difference in the world around us. We seek to see change--and I think this comes from our desire to see truth in our lives. We cannot square the lies of the corporate world, the government, churches with our own desire for truth.
When Pontius Pilate questioned Jesus of Nazareth before his crucifixion he asked him "What is truth?" Pilate asked this existential question in reply to the assertion of Jesus that "Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." Well, who is on the side of truth, and for that matter, what is truth?
Grand ideas and schools of philosophy are driven by the search for truth--Existentialism has its pursuit of the meaning of existence and the value of the existing individual; different religions portray their own versions of truth; the media claims to put forth truth for the public; all types of literature involve this pursuit of truth, but really how does the quest for truth play out in our day-today lives?
We seek truth and generally find it comforting when we find it. Those people that we feel most open and comfortable with, those who we call our closest friends, are the people we actively live in truth with. And when there is some breach of this, these relationships are strained.
Within our own self, we seek truth as well. Our quest to be 'real' and 'useful' stems from this desire for truth. Most of us young post-postmodern people hope to make some sort of a difference in the world around us. We seek to see change--and I think this comes from our desire to see truth in our lives. We cannot square the lies of the corporate world, the government, churches with our own desire for truth.
posted by Mr. Sherwood at
8:22 AM
1 Comments:
interesting post.
(found while searching for my username, as one does.)
what i find facinating is my relationship with the word veritas. it has been my main online title for a few years now, and it's as true as my other name. i feel familiar and comfortable with this false name. odd.
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