What Prevents Us from Understanding the Truth, Even When It's Staring Us in the Face? The Obstacles Along the Way

After a period of investigation, I discovered that the search for pure truth requires great effort, and after all the conversations, my mind was already confused. I heard strong arguments on both sides, and I felt compelled to stop and reflect a bit.

I realized that I am not capable of understanding on my own in a short time what the right path is, and then I thought about my limitations. Today, I know that this time for reflection was very important since on the path to truth, the human soul encounters many obstacles.

1. Personal Interests

The truth is not a product of human creation and is not dependent on our will; it is the truth! Whether we want it or not. Some people believe in ideas just for convenience, and this is a mistake. For example, suppose I wanted to be protected and guarded by a certain entity, if possible – the one that created me, but I am not willing for it to demand too much from me. Of course, I am willing to compromise a bit and do something for it since, after all, I owe it my life!

Well, since I am protected and created by this entity, it seems reasonable to pray to it once a week, to act kindly towards people according to my understanding, and later – to build a statue for it, adopt it as a divine source, and thus solve the problem.

Let me share with you a story I heard from one of my readers: On a radio program, there was a discussion about the ban on carrying weapons in Brazil. One of the respondents in the discussion was... the owner of a weapons factory. He, of course, voted against the ban...

Did the factory owner who expressed his opinion truly believe that the law prohibiting carrying weapons is harmful to society?! It is likely that without awareness, he created a view based on personal interests, so he could continue selling weapons. The amazing thing was his effort to convince himself that the violence-causing weapons mainly come from outside the country's borders, and if indeed a ban were imposed on the citizens from carrying weapons, what would happen is that only criminals would be armed...

Did he really convince himself of his words, or perhaps forced himself to believe in them, because otherwise, the end would come on a factory he invested many years in! Many times, it can be seen how a person develops a comfortable or subjective view, and from that moment he declares it as his viewpoint, and no one has the right to intervene. But is it absolute truth?

In this conduct, there are several inconsistencies: First, the world behaves as it does and not as we would like it to behave. Second, sometimes believing in something is just a way to achieve what you want.

It's very easy to create a worldview; just define our desires!

Notice the movements operating in the world: a liberal movement and a conservative movement opposing it, a communist movement and a capitalist movement, a movement in favor of deporting foreigners (according to its founders who believe they are being robbed of their jobs) and a humane movement striving to open borders entirely... It's not hard to identify the interests of these movements and to see clearly that they carry in their names the desires of their participants and are not necessarily searching for the truth.

2. Social Influence

The second obstacle on the way to the truth is society. We know that in the world there are many ways of life and a variety of beliefs, some very interesting and even positive, and others flawed and destructive. On many questions – there is one true answer, but the society surrounding a person searching for answers disguises them and misleads him.

There is no doubt, our behavior is determined according to the residents of the place we are in. We are influenced by the environment we live in, so much so that it can prevent us from understanding the truth. For example: A child born in an Afghan tribe will receive, from birth, education, culture, and values that do not necessarily align with the ideal way of life.

In many places, they don't even ask about the world's truth. Thus, most people live their lives according to norms dictated by the society they live in: if the majority wear watches on their left hand, so will the others; if the majority eat seafood, so will the others; and yes, if most residents work until midnight, so will the others. If you ask these people why they chose this way of life, they won't know how to answer.

Despite being a product of his environment, one must ask and examine if the society to which he belongs influences him positively. Take, for example, a young man born in Nazi Germany. From a young age, he was educated to support the declarations and policies of Hitler. He was exposed to constant anti-Semitic propaganda and surrounded by people who didn't dare to question the validity of the events. Can he be blamed for supporting the Holocaust?

There is no doubt that he can. One can rule so, as every person, no matter where he was educated, must research and seek the truth, even if it means going against the norm. "The fish lives, as long as it can swim against the stream." This is also true for human beings. Those who do not examine the values of society but are swept away with the current, live meaningless lives.

Therefore, even when we study the values of the society we live in, we must not close our eyes to other possibilities.

3. Limits of Observation

The truth may be visible, yet it can also be concealed. Many things can occur without anyone noticing. Let's imagine two islands, one named A, the other named B. On island A there are talking mirrors, and on island B there are flying frogs. If on island A someone claims that there is a place in the world where frogs fly, it would sound ridiculous, but if they claim that there are talking mirrors, it would be accepted without any question since it exists in that place. Similarly, if on island B someone talks about talking mirrors, they would be suspected of insanity. In the real world, it's wrong to limit the investigation of truth only to what can be seen with the eye. We must not close our eyes to additional possibilities, which exceed what we know today.

In fact, a person who adopts beliefs of a particular society locks themselves out of other possibilities. Who guarantees that there are no flying frogs? You don't believe because you haven't seen or heard of anyone who saw, but you cannot prove they don't exist.

Thus, the belief that only what is seen is true might be mistaken. Indeed, many cultures have erred in this perspective. One of them is the Egyptian culture: its people saw the sun as the greatest source of energy, a giant glowing ball of fire without which the world cannot exist. So far, everything is correct. However, they also saw the sun as a divine figure, because they only believed in what was perceived by the senses, and didn't investigate if there is a supreme power controlling this fireball and operating it, even though this supreme power is not visible. Even today, many operate according to a perception very close to this Egyptian view. There are no significant differences between us and the ancient cultures. Only our observation methods are more sophisticated.

Today it is scientifically proven that sunlight is essential for the existence of the entire world: plants draw nourishment from it, and from them, the whole food chain extends to humans. The subject of the sun's rays, although not many are interested in it, represents our way of thinking: the moment we believe the world is controlled by powerful and influential people, such as the president of a great power, an extremely rich person, the best soccer player, managers of leading companies, army officers or leaders of military forces with modern and sophisticated weapons – we are, still, thinking exactly as they did in ancient Egypt.

However, the most significant question we must investigate is: was the American president George W. Bush the direct cause of the fall of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, and thus the capture and execution of the dictator Saddam Hussein, president of Iraq, or was it a supreme force that guided him to act as he did, and he was merely a tool in the hands of Hashem to overthrow those regimes?

When we are witness to something impressive and dazzling like the sun, we are amazed by it and immediately grant it status and even attribute to it the creation of the phenomenon, but can it be that the sun shines on its own? Could it be that the president of the largest technology corporation came up with a new idea one day, and without much thought decided to develop tools that impact the entire world?

We must also ask and investigate whether there are things that are not visible to the eye and not audible to the ear and cannot be perceived by our senses. We will discuss this on some more pages.

4. Cognitive Dissonance

Another obstacle in the way of truth is a concept in psychology called cognitive dissonance. Imagine you studied and prepared for a long time to be accepted into the university considered the best at its academic level. You struggled greatly, and you indeed achieved the ambition that had accompanied you for years. And here, after a few months, you discover that the university you are studying in is no longer considered the best. Another university surpasses it in level and achievements, and therefore you supposedly didn't need to put in so much effort to get into the place where you are studying. How will you respond to this revelation?

In such a situation, most people convince themselves that the ranking they just learned about is incorrect. This happens even to the smartest of people, without trying to verify the new data. People simply close their eyes to acknowledging the fact they were wrong, as they invested resources in the first thing, and it is more convenient for them to believe that the new data is the incorrect one. Mistakes like this are very common and are called 'cognitive dissonance,' meaning a distance between what we believe in and what is seen in reality. When we seek true answers, we must be cautious that our past investments do not overshadow our decision-making and our objectivity in searching for answers.

5. Sensory Deception

The concept of "brainwashing" refers to a type of manipulation that uses tools to make someone believe in something that is not necessarily true. Brainwashing can influence not just one individual, but an entire nation, as it happened in Nazi Germany. They didn't use rational means but sensory stimuli, especially visual imagery and music. Through a special department in the newspaper headed by Joseph Goebbels, the Nazis succeeded in rallying an entire nation to support the most primitive and irrational idea known in history. In this manner, it is easy to manipulate masses. Someone watching a play may support its message even if it is biased. Imagine that you are watching a war movie and become a supporter of one of the sides. It is not necessarily because this side is right, but because the creators of the film wanted you to feel that way. They combined magnificent scenes with moving tunes, as tones, melodies, and characters deeply touch the audience's soul, without going through a value-based and logical review. Therefore, those who are in search of the truth must be extremely careful not to come into contact with creations that touch the senses and emotions, as they can be an obstacle, and over time, they can even distort things we rightly believed were correct.

6. Pride

The truth is a value that must be sought with persistence, without compromise. You can never say: I already know all the truth! Therefore, a proud person will struggle to find the truth. He believes he knows the absolute truth and does not look open-mindedly to recognize additional ideas. Consequently, he lives in error.

There are many proud people, and each of them has a different opinion. Each one believes he lives the truth. This despite the fact that there can only be one truth, and it is not possible for someone to hold a truth that opposes another truth. However, pride seals a person off from another's opinion, because a proud person cannot listen to others, but instead entrenches himself in his position, assuming that everyone else is wrong except for him, and thus is destined to lives full of mistakes.

7. Habit

Often, habit constitutes an obstacle for someone searching for the truth. A person by nature does not like changes. Inventing an idea, practical actions, and especially – the establishment of a new life require great effort, and from the moment that happens, it is hard for a person to change, even if the place where he is located is not the right path, and even if it is true, it may cease to be at some point. For example: A person arrives in a certain city, settles there, and lives there for many years. One day he receives a notification that a major earthquake is expected in the area, and he must leave and escape for his life. His initial tendency is not to believe the message! Not because he verified its reliability, but because of the laziness and discomfort involved in moving from place to place.

In fact, each of us experiences this in thought and daily actions. Even a topic that has been scientifically examined and proven countless times until it seems like everyone agrees, will be denied by someone who has an interest to deny it, because of habit or another reason. Thus, a person accustomed to smoking is unwilling to be convinced that smoking is harmful to health. In the same way, if a person is used to eating a particular food and hears negative information about it, he is inclined not to believe the information, even if it makes sense and is true. Therefore, we must be careful about habits, and at least be aware of the fact that they can divert our thinking from the truth.

The wise are supposed to seek the truth in a pure and neutral way, but all these obstacles lead people to live in illusion and cling to empty beliefs.

The human being is endowed with a brain of immense power, and this brain is supposed to serve him in searching for true answers to fundamental questions.

Excerpt from the book "Dan's Journey to the Meaning of Life," by Roni Dayan. To purchase the book at Hidabroot Shops,click here.