I’ve been reading tons of social media posts from friends, family, former classmates, and just people I know in general. They’re weighing in on the current Supreme Court Justice hearings. I have a lot of folks in my circle who are hash tagging #webelieveaccusers  My response to that is, “Oh really?” To hash tag #webelieveaccusers infers that we believe ALL accusers; the “ALL” has just been omitted from the statement. If you say you believe accusers, then by default you mean all. Here’s the thing, I believe some accusers, others I do not. Why? Because in the past, some accusers have lied. We do not live in an “all or nothing” world where the statements “All” and “None” and “Always” and “Never” can be tossed about with abandon, even though you see those words in lots of memes and online platitudes. Many people share the “all or nothing” platitudes and paint their world as being over here, or over there, but not in the middle, and not using the word “sometimes.” So if you’re being honest with yourself, you’d admit that you believe some accusers, and you believe some accused; but not really all, or not really none.

This realization begs the great question, “What makes me believe some and not others?” The answer probably lies in your world view, and what side, what team you identify with…and whom you love or hate the most. Many of the #webelieveaccusers are die-hard Trump haters. They hate the President, and their hatred colors their world view and opinion on how they sort out good, bad, truth, lies, and what means justify the ends. The #maga folks love the President and will support him, regardless of other factors. Do you see what the driving forces are here? Emotions. Love. Hate. Not analysis, not fact, not moderation, but out of control emotion. Here’s the other crazy – and I mean CRAZY – thing I see. People think that because they believe something, it ‘becomes’ true. That’s not true.

I can have the most sincerely held beliefs, and hold onto those beliefs for years. But the truth has nothing to do with me or my beliefs. That goes for you, too. I might sound callous when I say that in relation to the truth, I really don’t care what you believe. And just because a whole bunch of people believe the same as you, that doesn’t make that belief any closer to being true. Truth is not subject to a popular vote.

I’m frustrated by people in my life that seem to be basing their statements on their emotions, or a perception of shared experiences, hatred of the ‘other side’ or a conglomerate of feelings all bundled up into a basis for a belief. I’d ask everyone to make efforts to step away from emotions, from love, or from hatred, and study the facts objectively. Trust me, I know that’s hard to do.

In the end, though, with whatever conclusions we make, assumptions we embrace, or opinions we hold dear to ourselves, and mold into beliefs; the truth is completely independent of it all. The truth, out there, as its own entity, is completely separate from us. Whether we will “know” the truth or not, rest assured it exists and it doesn’t care what we believe about it.