Digging through the pockets of an old sweater, I came across a ripped piece of paper with a hastily written quote.  It read: 

Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies ~ Nietzche.  

Maybe Nietzche is trying to tell me something. Again.

Convictions are rigid patterns of thinking and behaving. These become hardwired into our being as personal manifestos that define core values, and become the driving force that determines a lot of things including how we define our “truths.”

Ahhh, yes, then the light bulb moment – the subjectivity of truth. 

Nietzche also said: “Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.” 

I mean, the last thing I want to do is destroy someone else’s illusions. After all, I’m too busy trying to keep my own alive and well.  

So, does this mean that I should throw everything I thought about the truth out the window? 

Yep, pretty much.

If my perception of truth is happy, lovely, and light, it doesn’t mean that someone else’s is the same.  Maybe others think mine is absurd, or maybe they think theirs is better than mine. But in the end, it doesn’t matter because the truth is one of those words that conjures big emotion because we build our world around it.  We also build a fantasy around it, hoping it will hold us up when the time is right, and then we crumble in disappointment when we discover that truth is really just a word, that means different things to different people. 

The fact is, our truth can be unwavering, and often times wrong.  

What a disappointment.  

So how do I deal with someone else’s distortion of my reality? This is the biggest problem I have with letting go. Why can’t they see my truth? Why do they think their truth is better than mine?

Nietzche reminds us, “If you stare into the abyss long enough, the abyss stares back.” 

At the end of the day, it’s their truth –  like mine, it’s a subjective string of illusions, derived from moralistic interpretation and life experiences, manifested through a bit of self fabrication to make life easier to travel.  

So does one take on the beast? Do you prove your truth?

Again another genius Nietzche moment: “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster.” 

The lesson is greater and it is the key to letting go:  Don’t get sucked into other people’s bottomless pit. Stay true to yourself; trust your truth.

The quote on a ripped piece of paper ended up being a real seed of enlightenment.  Cultivate and practise goodness – this is the source of light that will dwell within and shine through your heart with every beat. If you practice it enough, it will sparkle brightly even through your dark moments when your truth is challenged.  And, maybe, just maybe, it will shine some light on someone else’s black hole.

Remember, “you don’t drown by falling in water, you drown by staying there.” (Thanks again Neitzche)

Let people hold on to their own illusions, and it will be much easier for you to let go of their truths.