Believe Those Who Are Seeking The Truth – Andre Gide

Believe those who are seeking the truth: Truth is an elusive one – sometimes I feel that we’re always on a spectrum with the truth. Perhaps, the resolution is to find ourselves closest to the true spectrum which is validated by data. In the context of this quote – believe those who are seeking the truth – our focus is on people who’re on this quest. The reason we need to stay away from those who claim to have found them. These truths can be about yourself, abilities and personality which makes it more personal.

The fact of the matter is that your truths are special and yours alone to own. No one else has a claim on them or can try to prove you otherwise. With that in mind – you at least have something to learn from people who’re on the quest of this journey. For all we know, the others who claim to have found this already might just be lying or don’t know enough.

Believe Those Who Are Seeking The Truth Meaning

There is no such thing called absolute truth because it is always tainted by the perception of the person telling you this truth. In such a scenario how to find the source and true meaning of something? Personally in this article, I’d like to focus on truths that influence your personality and character. The objective truths have sources and data to back them, but your personal truths are influenced by your stories.

The most important takeaway from this quote is to be on the quest of finding the versions of your truths. As we grow and introspect further, we add data to qualify these truths and make them verified. For instance, the truth can be – I’m always bad at talking to new people.

It is a simple truth, but a version you’ve told yourself. This may be backed up by your experiences of avoiding people. However, I’m sure that you’ll have some stories where you’ve performed remarkably with some others. Dig a little deeper into them. What worked in this case and how was it different?

The truth is that our experiences shape our beliefs and truths as well. Our versions of truth keep changing and hence the meaning of believing those who are seeking the truth is pronounced in such a quest. The driving questions usually are:

• What do I want from my life?
• Are my beliefs helping me achieve these or limiting me?
• What beliefs do I need to create?

Once you have these answers, you can create a process for yourself to find your truth. Believe in your aspirations more than your doubts and you can develop something that works well for you. Instead of accepting the truth and stories of others, perhaps trust yourself a little more – believe those who are seeking the truth instead of the ones who claim to have found it. These people may try to force their opinions and beliefs on you which might not be true at all.

What do you do to seek the truth?

We’re all on the journey of seeking truth – sometimes it is about the external world. But most times, seeking truth is an introspective exercise. You’ve got to be brutally honest with yourself and embrace raw emotions as they come. Truth doesn’t survive well under judgement or shame. Be honest, forget your shame, and just focus on what the truth is telling you.

Here are some key steps in seeking truth:

1. Be curious: Ask the question Why! You’ll not get an immediate answer, but keep asking why. As Simon Sinek says – start with the why. Truth has a fantastic way of coming out for the most curious, innocent questions
2. Be True to yourself: Truth will not survive under judgement. Be true and honest – face reality as it is. We always have an image of ourselves. Truth sometimes means going beyond this image to accept what the facts are telling you.
3. Ignore justifications: It is easy to justify or rationalise any action. If you’re truly in the process of seeking truth – it must come from a place without any judgement.
4. Listen to your emotions: Just listen – forget all explanations, questions and judgements. Look within and figure out what your mind is telling you. Ask the question – what does it really mean? What are my emotions asking me to do? Remember, there’s nothing truer than raw emotion. Even if it is an ugly one, it is the truth nevertheless.

If you’re trying to seek the truth about yourself, manage a journal – at first, you won’t be good at tracking them. But as you gain momentum, the truth will come to you. There’s no other option for the truth to escape.

Quotes about seeking Truth

Taking inspiration from Andre Gide’s quote, here’s a short collection of quotes about seeking truth. Finding out the truth isn’t always easy. It demands that we look within ourselves and answer some harsh questions.

The beauty in truth is that it is inescapable – the best option we have is to find a way to deal with it. If you want to make the most out of your truths, face them the way they come to you. Truth has a way of focusing your energies in the right direction. If you use it properly, these quotes about seeking truth will help you find your true cause.

Finding Truth Quotes

“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”–Gloria Steinem

Face reality as it is, not as you wish it to be – Jack Welch

Accept everything about yourself – I mean everything.  You are you and that is the beginning and the end – no apologies, no regrets.  – Clark Moustakas

Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.  – Malcolm Forbes

The truth is incontrovertible.  Malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.  – Winston Churchill (Related – Winston Churchill Quotes)

“We should not be ashamed to acknowledge truth from whatever source it comes to us, even if it is brought to us by former generations and foreign people. For him who seeks the truth there is nothing if higher value than truth itself” ― Albert Hourani

Remember that when things don’t go according to plan, they go according to truth. No matter how painful the reality, it is reality nonetheless. There is dignity in facing the truth without trying to cut it down to a more manageable size. There is honour in acceptance.” ― Vironika Tugaleva

The most common message in all these truth quotes is about finding yourself. In the process of understanding these quotes about finding the truth, make sure that you don’t let shame or judgement take over. Truth is about acceptance and focusing on reality as it is. The quote by Jack Welch is a beautiful reminder that truth is unrestricted, it is the only thing that can set you free.

Spiritual/Philosophical meanings of seeking truth

As I write this article, I must inform you that this article talks only in the context of personal development. I’ve purposefully not delved into a spiritual or philosophical debate. However, I’d like to point out that spirituality to is an individual and personal choice. It is the way we relate ourselves to the elevated standards isn’t it?

In the context of seeking truth and spirituality, I’d start with the bare minimum questions though. Instead of believing something which has been told to us, maybe there is a huge value in questioning them. By this, I don’t advocate everyone to be an activist, but certainly before letting something influence you, maybe ask that question. Does this make sense to you or does the doctrine have a bias? Sometimes, the bias can be historical, environmental or even cultural.

While seeking truth, we have to ensure that we keep the biases in mind. And in some cases, it is good to preserve your biases which help you grow and become better. The truths which weaken you must be questioned and so do the ones which strengthen you too. It involves being a bit objective and sometimes even a bit brutal for yourself. The objective is to keep growing and moving ahead. And that involves accepting the truth even if it hurts.

Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it

Andre Gide (Source)