Impossible Truth
Can We Really Know Our Own Truth?
Surely we can know our own truth—at least, that’s what I’ve always taught in my life-writing course. I would say to my students, “Don’t worry about what others think—just write from your perspective. It’s your truth. You own it.”
And I believed that—wholeheartedly—until I heard a debate on the topic… and until I sat down to write this blog.
Now I’m left wondering: Can we really know ourselves?
Or do we carry a deep, inherent bias—one that distorts and buries our own truth?
Perhaps one of the clearest manifestations of this brokenness is what psychologists call catastrophic thinking.
I first noticed this—dramatically so—in parents of murdered children. I even remember the moment I first heard the term. That’s exactly what our support group meetings often circled around: catastrophizing.
In psychology, catastrophizing is defined as an exaggerated, negative mental set triggered by actual or anticipated painful experiences. It’s one of the strongest psychological predictors of pain. This mindset has three main expressions:
Apparently, we exaggerate—and often don’t even realize we’re doing it.
Later, in my training, I was introduced to the concept of negativity bias. As humans, we’re wired to give more weight to what goes wrong than to what goes right. A single negative experience can hijack the mind, warping our perception in ways that impact our work, relationships, health, and happiness.
Some research suggests that we operate with a 75% negativity bias—which means that we don’t see life impartially. We lean toward the dark side of our own stories, even as we try to tell the truth.
So, the question lingers: Is our truth really ours? Or is it shaped—distorted—by brokenness we can’t even see?
And then can we trust the truth in others?
In today’s world, the fragility of truth is especially evident in the way technology and social media amplify falsehoods.
Here’s a closer look at why truth feels so fragile today:
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
Surely we can know our own truth—at least, that’s what I’ve always taught in my life-writing course. I would say to my students, “Don’t worry about what others think—just write from your perspective. It’s your truth. You own it.”
And I believed that—wholeheartedly—until I heard a debate on the topic… and until I sat down to write this blog.
Now I’m left wondering: Can we really know ourselves?
Or do we carry a deep, inherent bias—one that distorts and buries our own truth?
Perhaps one of the clearest manifestations of this brokenness is what psychologists call catastrophic thinking.
I first noticed this—dramatically so—in parents of murdered children. I even remember the moment I first heard the term. That’s exactly what our support group meetings often circled around: catastrophizing.
In psychology, catastrophizing is defined as an exaggerated, negative mental set triggered by actual or anticipated painful experiences. It’s one of the strongest psychological predictors of pain. This mindset has three main expressions:
- Helplessness: “It’s awful, and I feel completely overwhelmed.”
- Rumination: “I can’t stop thinking about how much it hurts.”
- Magnification: “I worry that something even more serious may happen.”
Apparently, we exaggerate—and often don’t even realize we’re doing it.
Later, in my training, I was introduced to the concept of negativity bias. As humans, we’re wired to give more weight to what goes wrong than to what goes right. A single negative experience can hijack the mind, warping our perception in ways that impact our work, relationships, health, and happiness.
Some research suggests that we operate with a 75% negativity bias—which means that we don’t see life impartially. We lean toward the dark side of our own stories, even as we try to tell the truth.
So, the question lingers: Is our truth really ours? Or is it shaped—distorted—by brokenness we can’t even see?
And then can we trust the truth in others?
In today’s world, the fragility of truth is especially evident in the way technology and social media amplify falsehoods.
Here’s a closer look at why truth feels so fragile today:
- Information Overload: The sheer volume of content online makes it difficult to discern what is accurate and trustworthy.
- Misinformation and Disinformation: False or misleading content can spread like wildfire, often outpacing any attempt to correct it.
- Erosion of Trust: As trust in institutions, media, and experts declines, people are more likely to believe anything—or nothing at all.
- Polarization and Echo Chambers: Social media algorithms often isolate us into ideological bubbles, limiting exposure to differing viewpoints and reinforcing division.
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
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