Could the sophistication of the truth be more important than the truth itself?

The manner in which truth is presented is what I consider to be the sophistication of the truth.

This question trespasses every area of life, namely for the purposes of this letter:

1. Self
2. Relationships
3. Business

Before we can intelligently delve into this question, we must agree upon terms: What is truth? And what does the sophistication of it look like? 

The Meaning Of Truth Itself

My early education was guided by classical programming, which included debate classes, logic courses, and the study of Latin and Koine Greek.  My favorite aspect of studying these languages is tracing a word to its Latin or Greek roots, which yields a greater dimension to its meaning. 

Truth derives from the Greek word αλήθεια:

The state of not being hidden; the state of being evident.
The manifested, unconcealed essence of a matter.

— WARNING: Digression below. —

Upon further exploration into αλήθεια, I read The End of Philosophy and the Task of Thinking by Martin Heidegger. He opened with a simple thought, couched within a larger context; however, I did not get far beyond these words: “The questions are paths to answers…”

I paused and smiled for two reasons.

First, I love asking, “Why?” 

For the majority of my 20s, I was uncertain as to reality: What is. 

When words do not align with exhibited behaviors or attitudes in another, it threatens cognitive dissonance. 

Therefore, over the last almost three years, “Why?” has become my constant companion in tracing mere words to their roots – the heart behind that which is conveyed. This question is simple yet delicious in its conjurings, producing a wealth of knowing and visibility into truth – harkening to the second definition of truth: The essence of a matter. 

The second reason I smiled was because I realized my tracing of “Why?” to get the heart of the matter stems from my classical schooling, where we traced the words to their origins. I never saw the correlation until this moment. 

And is this not a reminder to us all to consider how our adolescence impacts our adulthood without our awareness, much less intention? 

Hence, the importance of knowing. 

After all, our ability to see reality is predicated on knowing the truth. 

Therefore, we must be ruthless in our pursuit of asking, “Why?”

— Digression concluded. —

In returning to the sentiments above, ἀλήθεια does not address how truth is to be presented or manifested. 

If ἀλήθεια is merely unconcealed evidence of what is, a laying bare as it were, then the very definition itself lacks parameters and guardrails. 

Therefore, while the commitment to truth as defined above and the walking in it is essential, often derived from a position of moral virtue, the question is begged:

 How crucial is the manner in which truth is presented? 

The manner in which truth is presented is what I consider to be the sophistication of the truth. 

Therefore, I contend: The sophistication of truth is even more important than the truth itself. 

I have outlined supporting reasons in the following blog posts, bookended by qualities that constitute my definition of this concept and concluded by their manifestation in key areas of life: Self, Relationships, and Business.

Read the next blog post, where we discuss how sophistication protects the truth so that its meaning survives the transfer from one person to another.