The definition of truth is less philosophical than most realize. The truth is reality, and reality is fact. Facts are pieces of indisputable information, undistorted by the human consciousness. Humans, however, are inherently biased in their understanding of truth. Human opinion is nothing more than the world seen through a subjective lens.

If opinions are not the truth, history carries no weight. All of history is told through human reflection. Historians carry a certain personal bias based on their experiences. Humans write history, after all, and humans see the world through their own perspective.

Oftentimes in history, when an idea gains popularity, even if it is not based on facts, it becomes widely accepted as true because it then goes unchallenged. Ideas that meet no resistance develop eventually into apparent truths.

Some “truths” are so widely accepted as to be undeniable in people’s minds. Opposition to “truths” that are based on historical misinterpretation or mass hysteria are the most difficult to disprove. However, we must always keep in mind that the support of the masses does not inherently make an idea true, and in fact, massively supported “truths” are the most dangerous kinds of ideas. Humans, after all, define truth.

People have the ability to omit things based on their personal perspectives, biases, and self-interests. Politicians, who are expected to tell the truth, often only partially do so. They are frequently silent on controversial topics and leave out details that could harm their public image. These omissions are not intrinsically lies, but rather are hidden in their oratory. Politicians muddle the truth and impede the deliverance of it. Their influence or persistence or forcefulness often defines what the masses then view as the truth, or in some circumstances, their oratory and speeches destroy it.

Under closer scrutiny, the definition of the truth is even narrower. The parameters that define truth do not rely on humans; the truth must exist unabridged, with no part of it misrepresented or excluded. The truth is the rarest and purest treasure that we as humans pursue, but can only exist when untouched by human influence.