Do you know what is the most powerful thing in the world?

This one thing has toppled governments, transformed lives and changed history.

It has the power to revolutionize your life.

However, despite its positive influence, we often resist it.

The One Thing With All the Power

The most powerful thing in the world is — the TRUTH.

Think about it.  What has more power than the truth?

Once it comes to light, it changes everything.  There is nothing that can alter a person, an organization or a nation faster than the truth.

“If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground, it will but grow, and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through it will blow up everything in its way.”

~ Emile Zola

It happens all the time.  Look at Tiger Woods.  Once the truth came out, it changed everything.

The truth can tear down and the truth can build up.

Our Resistance to the Truth

Here’s the weird thing.  We often refuse to acknowledge the truth especially about ourselves.

Human beings have an amazing capacity to hang on to certain ideals about themselves even when the truth is staring them in the face.

We turn a blind eye to it.  We deny it.  We hide our heads in the sand and shun the idea of it all.

We resist the truth because the truth always demands change.

It forces us out of our comfort zone and into the previously unknown.

“All great truths begin as blasphemies.”

~ George Bernard Shaw

Truth is earth-shattering.  It destroys the little worlds we have constructed that make us feel safe.

However, what is life without truth?

Isn’t it just a sham?  Is that the way you want to live?

The truth won’t kill you.  In fact, it will make you stronger.

The truth exists whether you acknowledge it or not.  Continuing to ignore or deny the truth only holds you back.

The faster you accept the truth, the faster you can rise to new heights.

Seek the Truth and It Will Set You Free

“Belief in the truth commences with the doubting of all those ‘truths’ we once believed.”

~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Actively seek the truth about yourself and your world.  Acknowledge your strengths and your weaknesses.

Do you have bad habits?  Boldly confess them to yourself and others.  Bring them out into the light.

What little falsehoods, excuses, rationalizations, denials, lies or blindspots do you have?

Are you hanging on to one or more of these in order to justify behavior that you know you shouldn’t be engaged in?

Are you unable or unwilling to see the truth about yourself or your circumstances?

Question your motivations.  Be willing to recognize and confront the ‘truths’ you believe to confirm they are still valid.

There are some common ways we deny and rationalize.  It is time to stop hiding.

Are you telling yourself any of the following lies?

• This isn’t really hurting me.
• I’m no different than anyone else.
• I can’t change.
• This is just the way I am.
• It is his/her fault that I’m this way.
• My problem is too big to fix.
• I’m not talented enough.
• I’ve tried, but it didn’t work.
• No one will give me a chance.
• They are against me.
• I’m too messed up already.
• No one listens to me.
• I’m too old/young.
• I’m just not good enough.
• I wouldn’t be this way, if they…

This list could go on and on and on.  All of us use excuses like these.

We all hide behind lies.

The funny thing is we treat these untruths like little treasures.

We hoard them.  We cherish them.  Most of all, we protect them.

Here’s the deal — these so-called ‘treasures’ are the very things holding you back from living the life you most desire.

Are you willing to seek and confront the truth?

It is the most powerful thing in the world.

If you are ready, then start living intentionally and you will find freedom.

Photo: Copyright PhotoXpress.com

There is a lot of confusion and misinformation out there about these two natural tendencies.  Understanding the difference correctly can vastly improve one’s life, relationships and self-perception.

I know I have personally struggled with the way that I am.  I’ve grossly misunderstood myself and why I act the way I do for a good portion of my life.

I am an introvert.  There I said it.  It is out in the open now.  I’ve known this for a long time, but I didn’t really fully understand what it means.  I thought introversion was something negative, but it is not.

What I’ve learned about introversion and extroversion has really helped me.  I’ve developed a greater appreciation for both and this understanding has helped me to become more comfortable with myself and with all the crazy extroverts in this world. 

The Difference Between Introverts and Extroverts

Again, there is a lot of misunderstanding perpetuated via books, the web and television about what it means to be an introvert or extrovert.

I used to think that shyness is what made a person an introvert.  I knew that shyness was an undesirable trait so I really fought against thinking of myself in this way.  The thing is, I had it all wrong.

I recently read Introvert Power by Laurie Helgoe, PhD.  It was truly an eye-opening book. 

If you’ve struggled with self-doubt because of being an introvert, then I’d highly recommend you read it.  Also, if you suspect that maybe your spouse, child or close friend is an introvert, then again you could really learn some valuable information from this book.

For example, simply understanding the real difference between introverts and extroverts can make relationships much smoother.

Extroverts gain energy from interacting with other people and expend energy while reflecting.  That’s why they like to go to parties and constantly hang out with their friends.  Extroverts very seldom want to be left alone with their own thoughts.

On the other hand, introverts gain energy from being alone and reflecting.  They expend energy when interacting.  This is why introverts prefer solitary activities or smaller, more intimate gatherings.  We like to read a good book, spend time writing in our journals and just hang out at home.

Most of us have some introverted and some extroverted tendencies.  However, we generally have one orientation that we prefer and that fits us best.

The best way to decide if you are an introvert or extrovert is to look at your leisure time.  How do you prefer to spend it?  Do you relax and re-energize yourself by being alone or with others?

Where Conflicts Between Introverts and Extroverts Arise

Imagine an introvert married to an extrovert.  The extrovert loves to go out with friends and attend every party they can find.  It makes them feel alive and energized. 

They can’t understand why their introverted spouse just wants to stay at home.  They think, “What a stick in the mud!”  It gets really old having to beg him/her to go all the time.

Extroverts are very persuasive so oftentimes the introvert gives in and follows their spouse to the party.  It seems like the “right thing to do”.  They are married after all.  However, over time, the introvert starts to resent their extroverted partner for constantly dragging them to these events.

Once they are at the party, the extrovert disappears.  He/she loves to mingle and talk to everyone and doesn’t understand why they find their introverted mate alone on the couch an hour later.  They think their spouse doesn’t even try to make friends.

Before long, the introvert begins to feel like they’ve “done their duty” and wants to leave.  Of course, the extrovert thinks it is way too early to leave now.  The party is just getting started.  If the introvert persists, then the extrovert may leave, but only with a healthy dose of frustration brewing.

In the car, tensions erupt.  The extrovert can’t understand why the introvert is so boring and antisocial.  The introvert doesn’t get why they can’t just enjoy one another’s company.  They wonder, “Why does my spouse want to hang out with everyone but me?”

The Truth About Introverts and Extroverts

Have you ever experienced anything similar to the conflict above?  I’ve been there, done that and it sucks.  We live in a society here in America that assumes extroversion is the way to be.  When you don’t want to party with people, something must be awry.

Have you ever told an extroverted friend or spouse that you just want to stay home on a Friday night only to be asked, “What’s wrong?”  This same person might tell you that all you need is a good night out on the town to get you out of your doldrums.  This is the way our extroverted society thinks.

I’ve spent a good portion of my life wondering what is wrong with me because of our culture of extroversion.  I thought I was shy, anti-social, lacking self-confidence and just plain weird. 

The truth is that I’m an introvert.  I only want large-scale social interaction when my batteries are fully charged.  Otherwise, I just don’t have the energy.  Friday night after a long week at work is not the time to ask me to a party.

The funny thing about our society is that about half of us are introverts.  It is true.

You’ve probably read a much different statistic in the past, but Helgoe went straight to the source to discover the truth.  She found that 50.7 percent of us are introverts according to a large-scale population study published in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Manual.

This is truly astonishing to me!  Why have I always felt so much in the minority?  Half the population is just like me.  There are a lot more introverts than you would think.  This was a great relief to me and it helped me to more fully embrace the way I am.

Basically, I’m not as weird as I thought.  I’m simply different from what our society assumes.  This is the truth about me and it is about you too if you are a fellow introvert.

Being an Introvert Is a Good Thing

I can’t believe it has taken me this long in my life to figure out that being an introvert isn’t so bad and that it explains a great deal of my behavior that was previously a mystery.

Now I’m willing to go even one step further to say that I’m glad that I’m an introvert.

It’s true.  I’m moving beyond that old baggage and embracing my strengths as an introvert or my Introvert Power.

Here are some of the reasons that I think it is good to be an introvert:

• Introverts are the great thinkers, artists, inventors and problem-solvers in our world.  They spend a lot of time contemplating the whys and hows that make the world go round.  Without them, we would sacrifice a lot of the great discoveries and refinements in life.
• Introverts are willing to spend time working on themselves.  In fact, introverts relish in this kind of self-exploration.  They are very introspective and often invest heavily in their own well-being.
• Introverts are smart.  One university found that 65% of their Phi Beta Kappa Honor Students were introverts.
• Introverts are great conversationalists.  They love to delve deep into noteworthy subjects.  Leave the small talk to the extroverts.  We want meat in our conversations!

It really is great to be an introvert.  I found Laurie Helgoe’s book extremely enlightening.  As a fellow introvert she was really able to help me unpack all the stereotypes and misinformation about introversion.  If you’ve felt like a second-class citizen because you’re an introvert, then you absolutely need to read this book.

Photo by Felix Francis

Do these things even matter or has their time past? 

It seems that more and more people rationalize bad behavior as a way to achieve their goals.  I think this is a dangerous trend.

Examples of how truth and justice are being manipulated

It seems that everyone not only bends the rules to their benefit nowadays, but they turn the whole game upside down to rationalize their position.

For example, terrorist groups and gangs in various parts of the world justify the use of extreme violence to make their statement against those they perceive as their enemies.  They convince themselves and others that their actions are pardonable because they are acting on the side of truth.

In other examples, we have seen a governor recently impeached for allegedly trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Obama.  We have also witnessed the arrest of Bernard Madoff for an alleged $50 billion ponzi scheme on Wall Street.  Do these men even recognize the error of their ways?  Do they think what they’ve done is wrong?

Closer to home, it is easy to excuse ourselves, but we often engage in behavior that crosses the line as well. 

Ever stole anything or told a lie?  Most of us have.  However, we rationalize it by telling ourselves, “It ain’t that big of a deal.”  But, isn’t it?  Where do we draw the line?

Who is right and who is wrong?  Who decides?  What benchmark do we use to determine what is true and just?  Who gets to decide when things have gone too far?

Two enemies to truth and justice

Is there any such thing as black and white anymore or is everything a shade of gray?  In our effort to be tolerant and politically correct, have we lost truth and justice?

It seems to me that having standards for moral and ethical behavior, in other words, having a clear definition of what is right and wrong, is essential for a society to remain civilized.  However, many seem to subscribe more to relativism.

Relativism – a view that there is no such thing as absolute truth.  Truth varies from time to time and situation to situation.

Is it possible to give too much power to the individual?  Do we let every person decide for themselves what is right?  When taken too far, we allow subjectivism to take over.

Subjectivism – a doctrine that elevates the right of the individual to determine what is right based on what feels good to them without submitting to an outside authority. 

Is letting relativism and subjectivism rule really a good idea?  It might seem so, if things are going your way, but what if the tide turns against you?  Is this a recipe for chaos?

The trend toward fuzzy truth is likely to accelerate

The world continues to become a smaller place.  Technology allows us to communicate, travel and transact business around the world continuously.  Clashes in cultural differences are going to continue.  This makes truth harder to discern.

Ideas travel faster today than ever before.  We have already seen several instances where the media has been duped or misled by false stories picked up on the Internet and elsewhere.

As a society, we seem to have a hesitancy to draw the line.  We don’t want to offend anyone.  It gets tougher everyday to decide what will benefit the most people.

All this compounds the problem of determining what is true and right.

The problem a subjective truth creates

As I see it, it is impossible to arrive at what is fair and just if we cannot agree upon truth.  Truth is the foundation for a civilized existence.  It is the bedrock that our societies are built upon.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 
~ U.S. Declaration of Independence

The Founding Fathers believed certain truths were self-evident.  These truths were derived from a source outside ourselves.  They believed in a objective third-party that defined truth.

If we can’t agree upon truth, then how can we institute a fair justice system?  How do we decide when there is a difference of opinion between opposing parties?  Who determines what is fair?

We cannot continue to let relativism and subjectivism define our way.  These paths will erode everything we have fought and worked to establish.

Where do you stand?  How do you decide what is true?

I’m interested in knowing how you sort out the gray areas.  Do you think there is an absolute truth that is universal or do you think every individual has to decide for themselves?

Where do you see all this heading?  Are we destined for chaos or will justice ultimately prevail?  Whose justice?

How do you decide which side of an issue you are on? 

I look forward to reading your comments!

Photo by alexanderdrachmann