One of my sources of income is financial and accounting consulting. As a consultant at multiple companies over the years I have heard common phrases used. One of those common phrases is OVOT or One Version of the Truth. Typically this is a data warehouse where most of the data from multiple source systems eventually ends up. Executives at companies consider this the holy grail because it is a one stop shop to pull data and make decisions about the company's future. As automated as companies try to make the process, there is always a bit of human massaging to make the data fit the table. And alas, not all of the data makes it into OVOT so there is always side data that needs to be taken into account. That is probably why it is called one version of the truth, insinuating there are multiple versions of the truth. This got me pondering on my version of the truth.
What is truth? How can there be multiple versions of the truth? Is there even such a thing as the truth? Does truth = fact = knowledge?
Often truth, fact and knowledge are used the same way. A common phrase I hear floating around is "100%" meaning I have no doubts or I know this is a fact, or I know this is the truth. Lately, folks find it important to stress that as if they weren't always speaking truth but right here, right now they want you to know they are doing just that. I think for the most part these words mean the same thing. In our brains we have compartmentalized items into what we have figured out and what we are still trying to figure out. Some of us are 92% sure on a certain topic, 20% on another, 50/50 on another, and 100% on others. Each of us, based on our own unique blend of experiences, conversations, relationships and research have our own version of the truth and there is no single one version of the truth for all of us, it does not exist.
Someone once told me I was the most curious person they had ever met and I took it as a supreme compliment (which is how they meant it). For me, there are very few topics I am 100% on, I am in a constant state of research on almost everything and hesitant to say I "know" anything. From my past experience as soon as I make the public proclamation that I know something, here comes another source of information that makes me realize I was only working with partial information. I must constantly resist the urge of rushing to judgement and declaring myself settled on a topic or thinking that I have another person figured out. It is essentially mental laziness.
There was a meme floating around social media that I agree with. It is a circle with a tiny sliver titled "shit you know" then a slightly larger sliver of another color "shit you know that you don't know" then the whole rest of the circle another color "shit you don't know you don't know." Now that I know to be 100% truth!
An older gentlemen friend of mine would often entertain my ideas and ramblings, then gently remind me that "you don't know." I would try to explain in another way, he would politely listen then reiterate "you don't know." Now I am kind of hard headed so often it would take a few times but each time he would repeat "you don't know" until finally I agreed with him. Truly I don't know much.
To live in the world we must make decisions and it is important to trust your instincts and act when you feel it is best to act. This holding out on declaring facts and actually making decisions is a fine balancing act done best by only a few. They are called leaders. The rest of the herd will wait until they approach 100% to do anything and by then it is often too late. Leaders get the early jump when they have most of the information, knowing they can always make adjustments or freestyle along the way and figure out the rest. But leader or follower we all have our own version of the truth which helps us to make decisions and live life. Your version is unique to you and my version is unique to me. Concepts like truth, fact and knowledge are more philosophical in nature because they are all relative and different for all of us.
Of course collectively, all of our unique OVOT make up collective human consciousness. And with computers and technology we are able to quickly store and disperse ideas. The world and all that has been known is at our fingertips. This is a beautiful thing and some of us are taking full advantage of it. Not all minds are the same. Some shine brighter than others. Imagine each individual consciousness as a tent stake (or post) poking upwards on the tarp of collective human consciousness. Some stakes are long and sturdy and pushing the envelop for others to follow. When those foundational posts rise above the fray they can see the other pioneers and fellow consciousness raisers. When multiple posts stick together in community that becomes an entire area of the tarp that has risen above the fray and can now see the light. Others are drawn to this too and quickly become supporting posts. But first and always first is the lonely stake that stands up against the norm and leads the way for others to follow. Be proud of your OVOT, stand up and be heard!
What is truth? How can there be multiple versions of the truth? Is there even such a thing as the truth? Does truth = fact = knowledge?
Often truth, fact and knowledge are used the same way. A common phrase I hear floating around is "100%" meaning I have no doubts or I know this is a fact, or I know this is the truth. Lately, folks find it important to stress that as if they weren't always speaking truth but right here, right now they want you to know they are doing just that. I think for the most part these words mean the same thing. In our brains we have compartmentalized items into what we have figured out and what we are still trying to figure out. Some of us are 92% sure on a certain topic, 20% on another, 50/50 on another, and 100% on others. Each of us, based on our own unique blend of experiences, conversations, relationships and research have our own version of the truth and there is no single one version of the truth for all of us, it does not exist.
Someone once told me I was the most curious person they had ever met and I took it as a supreme compliment (which is how they meant it). For me, there are very few topics I am 100% on, I am in a constant state of research on almost everything and hesitant to say I "know" anything. From my past experience as soon as I make the public proclamation that I know something, here comes another source of information that makes me realize I was only working with partial information. I must constantly resist the urge of rushing to judgement and declaring myself settled on a topic or thinking that I have another person figured out. It is essentially mental laziness.
There was a meme floating around social media that I agree with. It is a circle with a tiny sliver titled "shit you know" then a slightly larger sliver of another color "shit you know that you don't know" then the whole rest of the circle another color "shit you don't know you don't know." Now that I know to be 100% truth!
An older gentlemen friend of mine would often entertain my ideas and ramblings, then gently remind me that "you don't know." I would try to explain in another way, he would politely listen then reiterate "you don't know." Now I am kind of hard headed so often it would take a few times but each time he would repeat "you don't know" until finally I agreed with him. Truly I don't know much.
To live in the world we must make decisions and it is important to trust your instincts and act when you feel it is best to act. This holding out on declaring facts and actually making decisions is a fine balancing act done best by only a few. They are called leaders. The rest of the herd will wait until they approach 100% to do anything and by then it is often too late. Leaders get the early jump when they have most of the information, knowing they can always make adjustments or freestyle along the way and figure out the rest. But leader or follower we all have our own version of the truth which helps us to make decisions and live life. Your version is unique to you and my version is unique to me. Concepts like truth, fact and knowledge are more philosophical in nature because they are all relative and different for all of us.
Of course collectively, all of our unique OVOT make up collective human consciousness. And with computers and technology we are able to quickly store and disperse ideas. The world and all that has been known is at our fingertips. This is a beautiful thing and some of us are taking full advantage of it. Not all minds are the same. Some shine brighter than others. Imagine each individual consciousness as a tent stake (or post) poking upwards on the tarp of collective human consciousness. Some stakes are long and sturdy and pushing the envelop for others to follow. When those foundational posts rise above the fray they can see the other pioneers and fellow consciousness raisers. When multiple posts stick together in community that becomes an entire area of the tarp that has risen above the fray and can now see the light. Others are drawn to this too and quickly become supporting posts. But first and always first is the lonely stake that stands up against the norm and leads the way for others to follow. Be proud of your OVOT, stand up and be heard!
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