Truth is the acknowledgment of reality—the recognition of how things truly are. At its core, truth is grounded in the first law of logic: the law of identity. A = A. A thing is itself and nothing else. Reality is simply that which exists.
For centuries, truth has been central to Western thought. Despite human imperfection, fallibility, and conflict, truth has remained a vital value—a means of aligning human judgment with reality. Essential fields like jurisprudence and science depend on truth, implicitly assuming it in their practices. Beyond these, individuals of good character in politics, the media, and civil society have persistently upheld the value of truth. For the faithful believer, truth culminates in the Christian proclamation that truth is the way and the path of life.
Yet, falsehoods have always been wielded for personal and political gain. Across civilizations and political systems—whether authoritarian, totalitarian, or democratic—history is replete with examples of such manipulation. We all know this from experience.
In our contemporary era, however, the distortion of reality and the implantation of falsehoods seem to have reached unprecedented levels. Where has the "love for truth" gone? How have ideological prejudice, political power, personal vanity, and self-importance come to overshadow decency, honesty, fairness, and humanity? Do people no longer understand—or perhaps never have—that truthfulness and truth-seeking are based on moral grounds? That no society can long survive without them? Don’t they grasp that justice, righteousness, honesty, and decency are merely the visible manifestations of truth in our social and political lives?
I addressed the moral and intellectual implications of truth in my 2016 blog entry Truth in Life and Politics (available here).
Beyond educational shortcomings that distort the very notion of truth, I want to highlight two reasons for the alarming magnitude of reality distortion we face today. One is as old as humankind; the other is relatively new and particularly pernicious to our civilization. Both, however, converge to form the disastrous reality we now confront.
First, human malice and wickedness—those timeless aspects of human nature—have reached new levels of harm. While human nature remains unchanged, contemporary technologies, the proliferation of media, and the pervasive use of social media enable unprecedented manipulation and denigration.
The four years of Donald Trump’s presidency saw the rise of delusions perpetuated by corrupt politicians, media giants, and tech companies like Facebook and Twitter. I have discussed at length the evil influence of the U.S. Democratic Party, arguably the most destructive political force in the Western hemisphere in our lifetime. The RINOs and anti-Trump factions within the Republican Party are close behind. These forces make left-wing movements in Europe and Latin America seem relatively mild in comparison. I’ve written about this vile group repeatedly (for example, here).
A recent example is the misrepresentation of the January 6 Capitol riot. The rioters, it turns out, were largely unarmed, and the FBI appears to have orchestrated much of the chaos to discredit Trump supporters and pressure Republican politicians into abandoning efforts to challenge the election results. The identity of the security officer who shot unarmed protester Ashley Babbitt remains undisclosed. Contrary to earlier reports, the Capitol officer purportedly killed by a protester with a fire extinguisher had died of natural causes, as confirmed by his family. Additionally, the Russian collusion narrative pushed by the media turned out to be unfounded, despite relentless coverage. Trump’s attempts to improve relations with Russia were painted as evidence of him being a Russian agent.
Similarly, attempts to impeach Trump on baseless charges ended in failure. While left-wing groups like Antifa and Black Lives Matter engaged in months of rioting, Democrats tried to paint right-wing extremism as the nation’s primary threat. Even traditional Christian values now face condemnation as "extremist." Election Integrity Laws are falsely labeled "voter suppression," and President Biden absurdly claimed that voter suppression is the greatest challenge the U.S. has faced since the Civil War. This claim persists despite evidence of irregularities following the 2020 election. Doubts about voter fraud are dismissed as conspiracy theories, yet the monstrous idea is that we should blindly trust the system.
The list of lies, distortions, and falsehoods could go on endlessly. One thing is clear: the majority of the political apparatus, the media, and security agencies have become machines of deception. These ideologically subverted institutions are willing to violate the law and morality to push the left’s progressive agenda.
The second reason for the ongoing reality distortion is arguably more dangerous. It concerns the increasing delusion of human capability, driven by hubris. Our era is marked by an unprecedented anthropocentrism—the belief that human beings can transcend natural limitations. This mindset fuels the creation of fake realities that ultimately harm us.
No longer is truth about understanding the natural world—what nature dictates to humankind, and the limits she sets. Instead, we are now driven to overcome these boundaries. Social constructivism manufactures false realities, creating an environment of fake authenticity.
