The truth is a rabbit in a bramble patch. And you can’t lay your hand on it. All you do is circle around and point, and say, ‘It’s in there somewhere.’
I love this comment from Pete Seeger, relaying a simile his father often used. Because for all the times I’ve said that arguing about the truth during conflict is a waste of time, for all the times I’ve mentioned that your perspective and the truth are not the same, and for all the times I’ve written about the ways we create our own truths by rehearsing our conflict stories, Seeger says it best.
In conflict, truth is multiple. It is elusive. It is hard to see clearly so the best we can catch are glimpses. And we’re bound to get figuratively scratched up and wounded as we make our way through the briars to try to grab it.
When you find yourself arguing about the truth, do something else.