Telling the truth is a duty that is linked to conscience and ethics.
Truth is an abstract concept that is difficult to define. The term comes from the Latin verĭtas and is associated with the conformity of what is said with what is thought or felt . For example: if a person is planning to sell his house and, when asked a question, answers "I would never sell my house" , he is not telling the truth (and, therefore, he is lying, which is the opposite of the truth).
Truth is also the conformity of things with the concept that is formed in the mind about them: "It's true, the road is in bad condition," "What we assumed turned out to be true: the owner of the company plans to declare himself bankrupt." bankruptcy .
Various ways of understanding the concept
Another way to understand truth is as the judgment that cannot be rationally denied . If someone says "This table weighs five kilograms" and, after weighing it, confirms said weight on the scale, no one can say that the statement was not true since it is based on a concrete and verifiable fact, capable of being accurately measured.
The real existence of something is also associated with truth: "Is that dog real?" , "I want to buy a real drum kit, I got bored of rehearsing with bins and buckets." If the dog or battery is not real, it does not mean that it does not exist in reality, but it is something different from what one imagines as a real dog or battery (it could be a toy dog and a an improvised battery with other elements).
Truths, meanwhile, are clear expressions with which someone is reprimanded or corrected : "I'm going to tell you a great truth: no one with your attitude can go too far in life."
When there is a mystery, its unknown can be revealed and the truth can be discovered through analysis and reasoning.
Plague Truth
In addition to these meanings, we would have to highlight that we speak of what is known as a truism or truism . In colloquial language, this expression is used to refer to all that truth that is known in a notorious way and that, therefore, is considered foolish to have to say.
A clear example of this meaning would be the following sentence: "In his oral presentation to the class the student told a truism: we all end up dying."
The term in different phrases
Likewise, there are other very common expressions that also make use of the concept we are analyzing. This would be the case of " truth as fists" , which is used to refer to that which is evident.
In the same way there is the phrase "a truth like a temple" . In this case, it is frequently used to refer to that which is absolutely notorious and, therefore, cannot be refuted in any way.
Science usually reflects on the truth.
The importance of truth in social relationships
The truth is one of the pillars of healthy social relationships . Whoever appeals to truthfulness when expressing themselves, resorting to sincerity and transparency, is usually valued and respected; On the other hand, those who do not act honestly tend to be punished for their behavior.
Of course, knowledge must be considered: someone can be untrue because they do not have the necessary wisdom about something, not because they want to lie or do harm. Suppose a person agrees to attend a party and then, since it rains that day, he does not attend because he thinks the event is canceled due to bad weather. However, she was wrong because the development of the celebration did not depend on the weather conditions. In this case, the individual did not tell the truth (did not keep his promise) due to a misunderstanding.
The notion in the judicial field
The question of truth is key in the judicial field. In the context of a trial, the law obliges witnesses to always tell the truth; in fact, his statement is made under oath . If, through tests and evidence, it is shown that the testimony is false, the person who lies is subject to a punishment established by the rules.
When corroboration can be achieved that the witness lied with intent, he or she incurs the crime of false testimony . In this way, a penalty is set that is linked to the obstruction of the functioning of Justice.
It is interesting to mention that, regarding the confession of an accused, the obligation to tell the truth is a matter of debate. There is a recognition of the right not to testify against oneself and not to incriminate oneself : although it is usually indicated that, therefore, the accused is authorized to lie, there are specialists who consider that this statement has no basis because he has the power to lie. keep silence. Thus, given the possibility of choosing silence, the rule of speaking truthfully would also apply to the accused.
Movie "The Two Faces of the Truth"
In addition to all the above, we cannot ignore the use of the term at hand in areas such as cinema. Thus, for example, we find films such as "The Two Faces of the Truth." It was released in 1996 , directed by Gregory Hoblit and starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton .
In it we are told how a lawyer defends a young man who has been arrested for killing an archbishop who, presumably, sexually abused him and his companions.