THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TRUTH.
Hi there, let me ask you a question; Do you know the difference between right and wrong? Do you know what is true and what is false? For example, a beautiful chocolate brown woman- Lest call her Sharlet, with smooth curves, long legs and enough character to grab the attention of any man. She decides to dress up for a night out with her friends. She picks out a skimpy crimson dress that does not shy away from grabbing every inch of her — from her chest down, but does everything to avoid her knees.
She ensures that there is just enough cleavage (if there is such a thing), and that the black stilettos on her feet sway the future behind her to the rhythm of the night. She then decides to order a cab that would whisk her away to a lovely evening of dance and wine (or Konyagi — The affordable spirit of choice for many Kenyans).
So the bolt arrives right on time and a very excited gentleman ushers her in by holding the door for her — 99.99% of Kenyan cab drivers do not do that FOR ANYONE. The driver ogles at her pronounced bust and glossy red lips from his rear-view mirror. At times even trying to peak beyond his scope of view. She notices his unsteady driving because of the split attention. He begins to veer off the usual path to get to her destination… soon she finds herself in a police station giving a statement about a rape case.
Now some would argue that Sharlet met a rapist cab driver who did what rapists do. Others would say that Sharlet was dressed in a way that would make any rapist take his chance, while others would say that “men are dogs.”
Another example is the common argument about house husbands. And the question usually goes like- Would you as a woman agree to become the sole provider in the family while the man takes care of the household?
Even common nowadays is the issue of gender and pronouns. Should every man and woman who decides to identify by another gender get their own pronouns? And should everyone in the world be made to RESPECT this by learning, memorising and referring to them by these pronouns or face some consequences for not doing so?
Also; Should a person who kills for passion and another who kills for money be prosecuted for murder or should the first person be set free/given a lesser sentence? I could go on and on because we are faced with such questions every day. For Kenya’s sake I’ll ask this one; Is it right to practice corruption just because others do it and or it seems like the only way to succeed in a corrupt system? For your kids, sick family or even dreams of success maybe?
**********Also read; You Are Not Who You Think You Are **********
Well to help you find these answers, I will give you my theory. I believe that there are fundamental truths embedded in our DNA and even laws from ancient times tracing through to the future. Human civilisations came up with the basics of right and wrong with the help of God and these formed the basis of human interaction.
These words are pinned on “things” based on proven theories and facts (truth) for differentiation, which are backed by evidence, either physical, chemical or biological. That is why we are able to group based on characteristics and not feeling, imagination or preference.
To solve the ambiguity issue, the English language has specific words to mean exactly what they mean. An example is FUNDAMENTAL to mean a central or primary rule or principle on which something is based. So now it is not just the truth, it is about the fundamental truth. We call these words jargon but I think they are just very specific.
So for me, corruption is corruption, murder is murder, rape is rape, skimpy is skimpy and man is man. The dynamics around these facts can change but the truth remains true. It can not be altered. Only wisdom allows us to properly decipher situations in order to make “logical” conclusions.
This is why criminal investigations take a while to conclude and some are even inconclusive.They rely heavily on keen attention to details (hints of evidence ) and processing of huge chunks of information that could have a myriad of implications just to determine a single verdict. Afterall, it is about someone’s life.
It is unfortunate that people do not do the same before judging another person. Most of us take a single indicator-that could have millions of interpretations, and assume we have the whole damn truth. We proceed to make harsh verdicts against the other person and then brand them on this basis.
Social constructs have perverted language to influence meaning and therefore consequences. But in the end there is cause and effect, there are does and don’ts and they can not be argued with. What do you think?
