“Truth is actually a relative quantity. It could be said to be the most reasonable existing data about any body of facts.” [emphasis added] —L. Ron Hubbard, page 155 of Science of Survival.
Some philosophies pride themselves in saying that one cannot really ever know truth or that truth is very difficult to know. In Scientology we believe that one can know truth. When, as a child, your mom gave you a big hug and told you that she loved you—that was truth. It is fact, it is real and observable.
However, if one day she was angry with you because you broke a vase of hers and she told you that she hated you or that she didn’t love you. This would not really be “truth” because in that moment she is only speaking out of anger and it doesn’t represent her real feelings toward you. Truth is the most reasonable existing information and in moments of anger people commonly say untruthful things because they are not using reason.
Places where you find a lot of truth are in non-profit organizations. Individuals in these kinds of groups are driven by passion and dedication and have a strong sense of reason. A good example of this is with Youth for Human Rights International. If you were ever to speak with Dr. Mary Shuttleworth the founder and president of this organization she could tell you how education can and does change communities—she has seen it with her very eyes. If you were to talk with her about slavery, she would tell you about the worldwide problem of enslavement and how it can be changed with education. This would be the truth of the matter because she is giving the best information available on the subject.
If you were instead to ask an American high school student, after he was taught all about Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, “Does slavery still exist?” the child would tell you “No, slavery ended in 1863.” This is a false statement. It is not true. Even though the child would not be “lying” because he does believe what he is saying to be true, it is not the most reasonable existing data on the subject. You could ask the over 13 million enslaved in India today if slavery ended in 1863.
One can know truth. A smart man is always looking for and learning truths.
