Reference: The Happiness Rundown
7. SEEK TO LIVE WITH THE TRUTH
False data can cause one to make stupid mistakes. It can even block one from absorbing true data.
One can solve the problems of existence only when he has true data.
If those around one lie to him or her, one is led into making errors and his survival potential is reduced.
False data can come from many sources: academic, social, professional.
Many want you to believe things just to suit their own ends.
What is true is what is true for you.
No one has any right to force data on you and command you to believe it or else. If it is not true for you, it isn’t true.
Think your own way through things, accept what is true for you, discard the rest. There is nothing unhappier than one who tries to live in a chaos of lies.
7-1. Do not tell harmful lies. Harmful lies are the product of fear, malice and envy. They can drive people to acts of desperation. They can ruin lives. They create a kind of trap into which the teller and the target can both fall. Interpersonal and social chaos can result. Many wars began because of harmful lies.
One should learn to detect them and reject them.
7-2. Do not bear false witness. There are considerable penalties connected with swearing or testifying to untrue “facts.” It is called “perjury”: it has heavy penalties.
The way to happiness lies along the road to truth.
.
Exercise
0. Make sure you have completed the exercise section at Happiness: Precept 6. Study the precept above.
1. Check the responses to the following questions for false data (see false data steps at Happiness: Prologue).
(a) “Have you been told or taught not to live with the truth?”
(b) “Do you have any rules or ideas contrary to living with the truth?”
(c) “Have you been led to believe that you shouldn’t live with the truth?”
(d) “Do you know of anything that conflicts with living with the truth?”
(e) “Do you have any false data about living with the truth?”
.
2. Go over each of the following questions repetitively, until there are no more answers:
(a) “How have others transgressed against the precept: ‘Seek to live with the truth’?”
(b) “How have you transgressed against the precept: ‘Seek to live with the truth’?”
Do a quick review to see if you did not miss any answers on this step. You should be feeling good about this step.
.
3. See if the following question definitely brings up some name you know of:
“Is there any specific person in your past who really transgressed against the precept: ‘Seek to live with the truth’?”
If no name comes up then go to step 4. if a name has come up, then continue with step 3 as follows:
“Can you recall an exact moment when you observed ___(name)___ transgressing this precept?”
If there is a realization, go to step 4. Otherwise, continue contemplating as follows, until there is some realization.
“Is there any time when you wanted to be like ___(name)___ ?”
“Is there any time when you decided that the truth wasn’t a good thing?”
“Did you ever do anything bad to ___(name)___ ? (Get all possible answers)
“Are there any differences between ___(name)___ and yourself?”
“Are there any similarities between ___(name)___ and yourself?”
.
4. Handle any anomalies that come up on the following question by looking at the anomaly more closely.
”Do you have any reservations about seeking to live with the truth?”
If the anomaly does not resolve then review the precept as well as all the exercise steps above to see if anything was missed. Then do step 4 again. When there is no anomaly go to step 5.
.
5. Contemplate on the following question.
“Do you have any reservations about getting someone else to seek to live with the truth?”
If any reservation comes up, then consider the following:
“How would that be a problem?”
Get answers to this question until there are no reservations.
.
