What Do You Want to Be True?

I listen to what people say. I read what they write. My listening and reading tell me what they think about the way things are. I may or may not agree with them. I may decide they’re right or wrong. I may think they’re sadly misguided or on the right track. I may think they’re brilliant or stupid, humble or arrogant, and constructive or destructive.

Some folks evidently either think nothing of lying or don’t know the difference between lying and truth telling. I assume, though, that most people try to represent accurately what they really think about what’s going on. They’re describing what they believe to be true.

Often, though, I’m left concerned about what they want to be true. I think that’s important, because what we want to be true may drive our thinking, talking, and writing more than what we think is true.

So when people talk about the shape our nation is in, I’m left wondering what they want to be true. Do they want it to be true that the nation remains hopelessly divided? Or do they want it to be true that it becomes more united?

When people talk about wars and potential wars, what do they want to be true? Do they want it to be true that the world suffers through perpetual conflict? Or do they want it to be true that it becomes more peaceful?

When people talk about healthcare, do they want it to be true that people’s access to quality medical care depends on their financial resources? Or do they want it to be true that it depends on their status as human beings?

When people talk about the environment, what do they want to be true? Do they want it to be true that our descendants will live in a sick and polluted world? Or do they want it to be true that they’ll live on a healthy and clean planet?

When people talk about religion, what do they want to be true? Do they want it to be true that adherents of different religions will continue to fear and harm each other? Or do they want it to be true that followers of different religions will learn to respect, appreciate, and understand each other?

When people talk about guns, do they want it to be true that America is a country where everybody is armed and ready to shoot? Or do they want it to be true that America is a place where people feel less threatened and thus less in need of arming themselves?

When people talk about education, what do they want to be true? Do they want it to be true that only those children whose families can afford to live in nice neighborhoods receive a quality education? Or do they want it to be true that every American child has access to good schools with good resources and good teachers?

Sometimes when I listen to what people say or read what they write, I worry about what they seem to want to be true. I think that matters, because we’ll be driven by what we want to be true to build the kind of society we want to have.

So think about it: what do you want to be true? Give it a lot of thought, because it just might come true . . .