Most people are familiar with the concept of phobia. We know technical terms like claustrophobia. If you want to do a little searching you can find all kinds of terms for all kinds of fears. One that surprised me was aletheiaphobia. The first part of the term comes from a Greek word for truth, aletheia. Thus we have a fear of truth.
I should not have been surprised that it is a named problem. We are surrounded by people who fear and hate the truth. It could be something as simple as not wanting to admit that you are getting old. Nothing is more pathetic than the old man with a comb-over, gold medallion and a hairy chest. The saddest thing about such a uniform is that it makes you look older and robs of any dignity that might come with age.
Of course there are other things people are afraid of learning the truth about. I am a global warming denier. If there was a badge and I wore badges, I would wear it proudly. It doesn’t take a lot of intelligence to deny something that does not exist and that has been plainly demonstrated not to exist. Actually I do not deny the possibility of global warming. It has happened many times in a constant cycle all through the existence of the earth. If it were not for global warming we would still be in the middle of an ice age. What I deny is anthropomorphic global warming. It is not caused because I drive a car. Also notice that I did not say “climate change denier”. Climate change is one of those silly terms that really means weather. It is always changing.
Fear of truth is grounded in the desire to have everything the way you want it. Life does not work that way. I don’t care how much you want it, if you have an X and a Y, you are male. If you have two X’s, you are a female. Fear and denial does not change reality. Lazy people tend to live in poverty. Hasty people tend to make mistakes. Tall people do not fit in sports cars.
Some people will not go to see a doctor because they are afraid they might find out there is something wrong. Some won’t read the nutrition label because they might find out how many calories are in their cupcake. That funny noise in the engine goes without being checked. That funky smell coming from the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator is not explored.
Truth will not go away. I guess to many that will not make much difference because it is more secure living in the dark. Might I suggest that not paying attention to how your city council is voting can come back to bight you. Believing the half truth in the news can ruin your future.
I don’t think Demosthenes ever found his honest man. We might never find all the truth we need. We should keep looking anyway.
homo unius libri
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