There Are No Facts

In the find true purpose workshop, we talk a lot about wisdom, which is basically anything you know a lot about, or understand deeply, or have a lot of experience in. However, nothing you know, understand, or have experienced can be considered a fact, and here’s why.

Wisdom is a journey. It starts with what you know, which is your knowledge, and that includes your what you’ve learned, your opinions, perceptions, and beliefs. But none of it is fact. It’s all just knowledge.

You then have to apply your knowledge in real life to see if it’s true for you, so it becomes your truth. But your truth is only true for you, and may not be true for others, so it’s not a fact.

So then you have to share your truth with others, to see if it’s also true for them, so it becomes a shared understanding amongst your group, which is usually your family, friends, or colleagues. But that’s only true for your sphere of influence, so it’s also not a fact.

You then need to observe that common understanding in yourself, people, and life, to see if it’s true for many people over time, so it becomes the wisdom of the ages. But even then, wisdom is only true for many, and not for all, so it’s not a fact either.

Knowledge is only an opinion, truth is only true for you, understanding is only true for your group, and wisdom changes over time. Therefore, nothing is ever true for everyone, which means there is no such thing as fact.

You might be thinking, “Hang on a second! What about gravity? Isn’t that a fact? Aren’t the effects of gravity that true for everyone?” Not for the Wright brothers. In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright conducted the first ever powered flight. Yet at the time, everybody said, “Humans can’t fly, because there was no way to generate enough lift to counteract the effects of gravity”. That was scientific fact at the time!

Orville and Wilbur Wright knew that (knowledge), but they proved it to be untrue for them because they flew (truth). They shared their truth with others and found that other people could also fly (understanding). And over the preceding decades, we have proven that most people have flown in either a plane, helicopter, glider, wing suit, and so on (wisdom).

Is that a fact? Nope! There are many millions of people who have never flown, will never fly (it’s too expensive, or they have a fear of flying), or choose not to fly (they drive a car, catch a train or bus, etc). Flight is true for most, but flight is not true for everyone, therefore flying is not a fact. Flying is simply a wise choice.

Here’s another example. It’s a common knowledge that carrots improve your night vision, right? Well, apparently, that idea came from British World War II propaganda, in an attempt to disguise their new night-vision radar system, by making the Germans think that a diet rich on carrots was how the British RAF pilots were so good at shooting down so many German bombers during nighttime raids.

Is that a fact? I don't know. All I know is that’s what ChatGPT tells me, and ChatGPT gets all it’s knowledge from the shared opinions on the internet, and that's all just knowledge. None of it is true until I prove it’s true for me, for others, and for many over time. And even then, it’s never going to be true for everyone, so it’s never going to be a fact.

Case in point: Farmers have been known to plant field of carrots, because carrots soak up the chemical toxins in their soil, and then farmers sell those toxic-laden carrots to consumers, as “cheap carrots”. Therefore, a diet rich in carrots could actually be toxic to the body and possible harm your vision! Is that a fact? Don’t know. It’s just what I’ve heard.

The point I am trying to make here is question everything. Be open-minded or teachable enough to at least consider everyone’s point of view. Then be discerning enough to question it all, and only accept what resonates with you (knowledge). Then apply that knowledge in your own life to see if it’s true for you (truth); share your truth to see if it’s true for others (understanding); and give it time to see if it’s true for many over time (wisdom); all the while remembering that nothing is fact, because nothing is ever true for everyone.

And that brings us to the biggest mistake people make with wisdom, which is assuming, “Oh, I already know that stuff”. It’s the arrogant assumption that intellectual knowledge, learning, and opinion reign supreme. But wisdom is not what you know, wisdom is what you've learned, lived, shared, and observed.

So, when I hear people say, “Oh, I already know that stuff”, I’ll often respond with, “OK but so what! If you know it, prove it (truth); if it’s true, share it (understanding); if you think everyone understands it, just give it time (wisdom); and if it’s a fact, question it. Only once you've done that for a few decades, can you say, ‘Oh, I already know that stuff’.

And even then you should never stop learning more knowledge, seeking more truth, broadening your understandings, gaining more wisdom, and questioning all facts, because the journey of wisdom never ends.

If you'd like to know more about how wisdom fits into your true purpose, download a free copy of my eBook “Find Your True Purpose in Life”. It tells you everything you need to know. And I leave you with some more examples of so-called facts that ChatGPT says aren’t factual, if you’d like to question them.

“Humans only use 10% of their brain”. Well, apparently the latest neuro-imaging shows humans use 100% of their brain.

“1 + 1 = 2”. Well, apparently in certain alternative mathematical systems, 1+1 can equal 0, or 10.

“Eating fat makes you fat”. Well, apparently the latest research shows healthy fats can actually help people lose weight.

“Humans have five senses”. Well, apparently humans have 17 senses, including balance, temperature, pain, position awareness, hunger, thirst, time, emotion, gut response, intuitive knowing, and more.

“Lightning never strikes the same place twice”. Well, apparently lightening often strikesthe same place multiple times.

“Blood is blue in your veins”. Well, apparently blood is always red, and only appears blue under the skin due to the way light penetrates and reflects off the veins.

“Sushi is raw fish”. Well, apparently “Sushi” refers to the vinegared rice, whereas raw fish is “Sashimi".

“Bulls are enraged by the colour red”. Well, apparently bulls are colourblind and only react to the movement of a matador's cape.