I recently listened to the Nerdist podcast with noted atheist and magician, Penn Jillette, where he explained what it means to search for truth. His argument was that true seekers of truth are outspoken about their beliefs, even when they are wrong — or other people think they are wrong. He focused on the role of the Internet, especially outlets like Twitter, in allowing the world to correct mistakes. Jillette believes expressing your views in public invites criticism, but that criticism helps you learn truth.
For instance, if you quote Oscar Wilde as having said something he didn’t say, Twitter will be sure to let you know.
Jillette’s argument extends to opinion columns in newspapers, especially college newspapers. I’ve read some fairly outlandish claims in the opinion pages of the The Argonaut, but I think these pages are exactly the place for these claims.
We are supposed to learn things about the world in college, and part of that process is being wrong. If not wrong, then perhaps presumptuous.
I remember being a freshman in The Monsters We Make CORE class. In one of the papers I wrote, I made some broad, baseless claims. My teacher pointed out the holes in my argument. Being caught in naivete forced me to look at my arguments and re-evaluate them. Why was I really saying what I was saying?
At the end of the semester, the professor told us all that college is the time to try on new perspectives, like pairs of glasses. One week we can look at the world through an existential lense. The next week, a Christian lense. At the end of the day, though, we return to our core values, which are enriched by our experiences.
When our beliefs are challenged, we are forced to find out why we believe what we believe. Sometimes that means changing our beliefs, or figuring out how they fit into the larger picture. When that happens, we get closer to the truth.
A little more than a hundred years ago, a poet penned the words “Oh say, what is truth? ‘Tis the fairest gem that the riches of the world can produce, and priceless the value of truth will be when, the proud monarch’s costliest diadem is counted but dross and refuse.”
So keep searching. Speak out and let people know what you think, whether in the pages of The Argonaut or in the boundlessness of the Internet. To those who read, pay attention. You might learn something. Oh, and please be respectful.
Kasen Christensen can be reached at [email protected]