What happens if what you believed your entire life turns out to be a lie?
I cannot imagine how I would live my life afterward. It would be a devastating moment. Life would feel hopeless, stripped of a clear purpose. I would feel my very foundation shaking, utterly betrayed.
There is often a stark misalignment between what we perceive as reality and what we are told to perceive. This is almost inevitable. While we want to believe that our families, close friends, and authority figures always speak the absolute truth, it is often simply beyond their capacity to understand everything in this world as it is. They, too, have their own limitations.
Besides, why should we always demand the truth if we can live safely and happily inside a comforting lie?
Uncovering reality is not everyone’s cup of tea. I have seen many friends who are far better off living with what they want to believe rather than facing a miserable reality—especially if they cannot shake off feelings of grief and regret.
It is amazing how we often remember past moments as glorious and happy, even though while we were actually experiencing them, they were just ordinary, passing moments. We constantly yearn to go back to those “good old days,” forgetting that back then, our lives were equally full of anxiety.
Our mind tricks us into seeing the past in a warm, positive light because it can no longer be changed. Conversely, we view the ever-changing future with negativity and fear because it contains elements of unpredictability. Even though positive outcomes are just as likely, our minds tend to hyper-focus on the potential dangers that bring us anxiety.
The beauty of observing my inner world through meditation is learning how to see the world as it truly is—to become comfortable with unpredictability and accept the past as a finished memory.
Clinging to a lie as if it were the truth ultimately brings disaster because we are forced to bear the real-world consequences of decisions built on illusion. Therefore, past memories cannot be relied upon as the sole judge of what actions we should take today. Likewise, our fearful imagination of the future cannot be the proper judge for our current choices.
Our wisdom and clear understanding of the present moment must be the true decision-makers.
While making choices, our memories serve best as a reference point for what we desire. Similarly, we can use our imagination to gain a realistic big picture of what might happen—without adding extra layer of negative dread or false optimism.
Living a lie may feel comfortable. I have noticed that when a priest blesses a marriage, they traditionally ask if anyone knows a reason why the union should not continue, adding: “Speak now, or forever hold your peace.” In other words, if you want to keep the dream of an unbroken, happy illusion going, everyone must agree to keep the secret forever.
And that is the core key of this reflection: If you only want to preserve a comfortable dream, you do not need the truth. But if you want to progress in life and make meaningful things happen, you need the truth by your side to guide your actions.