There are trivial truths and there are great truths.
The opposite of a trivial truth is plainly false.
The opposite of a great truth is also true.
- Niels Bohr
Niels Bohr, the great Danish physicist who received the Nobel Prize in
Physics in 1922 for his fundamental contributions to the understanding
of atomic structure and quantum mechanics, is making a point that is
very Zen - or very Taoist if one prefers.
An example of a "great truth" for which the opposite is also true is the
statement, "You are not your body; you are not your mind." While it is
very true, if one so believes, that the "real you" is neither physical
nor mental, it is simultaneously true that your body and your mind are
very real, and ignoring their reality is likely to cause great
suffering.
Another example of a "great truth" is the Golden Rule. It is true that
we should treat others as we wish to be treated in the sense of being
kind and compassionate to everyone. Yet the opposite of the Golden Rule
is also true in the sense that it is kind and compassionate to recognize
that everyone is called to a different life path and to honor those
differences.
[As always, the purpose of these daily messages to provide something to
think about, rather than to attempt to dictate conclusions.]
No statement should be believed [solely] because it is made by an authority.
- Robert A. Heinlein
Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past,
threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.
- Maya Angelou
The more opinions you have, the less you see.
- Wim Wenders
The words of truth are always paradoxical.
- Lao Tzu
Further reading:
What is "The Truth?"
To Keep the Golden Rule
What You're Sure You Know, But Don't
The Golden Rule is Not Always Golden
