What is a fact? According to the dictionary it is a noun and it means "A statement or assertion of verified information about something that is the case or has happened." From the point of view of 'Relativism', there are no truths or facts. There are your facts and my facts. Your facts are supposed to be true for you and mine for myself. This gets even difficult when relativism treads into the realm of morality, then, there is no right and wrong actions.
Coming back to the idea of a fact, which, is supposed to be universal because it is a verifiable piece of information, do people respect facts? Unfortunately they don't. This is where our prejudice comes in. Despite what facts may be, from the colored glasses of prejudice on our eyes we see a different world with different facts. Your facts and my facts.
This was a real mess so science decided to take a diffrerent route. Science says, "I don't want to get into your viewpoints, no matter what you think, give me an experiment based on your interpretation of facts, and lets see if the results match observation." Thats it. Science lives a clean life where people throw in all kinds of crazy ideas but what lives on is only what can be tested and proved. This is limiting, sure. Truth could have been out of reach of expriment, or the experiment itself could not be known, why not. But what it gives you, is confusion free, consensus based interpretation and observation of facts and not a muddle of yours and mine. Science has a history of continous improvement and in the long term whatever is true, ultimately establishes itself.
Philosophy, religious views, political views and our day to day observations are ridden with conflict and disagreements. Instead of basing points of view on facts, facts are shaped to fit the framkework of our prejudice. People do it often, out of habit and out of need. When they do it out of habit, they look at the world in a certain way without realizing it. Its not their fault then. On the other hand, when they do it out of need, it is a matter of self-preservation and survival, which according to the theory of evolution is a fundamental part of every living beings instinct. Again, people cannot be made accountable for nature.
Acceptance is a fundamental part of our nature. We want to be called good people. Our beliefs and actions must be right. Our lives must be purposeful. Why else would I say, what I say and do what I do? To achieve that satisfaction, facts should match our actions (instead of the oppsite) and they are made to match them. Why not realize our mistakes, if any, and change ourself. Intertia. The pricipal of intertia states that: "Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight ahead, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by forces impressed." You can't blame people for this, it is a fundametal law of nature. You will stay on course until forced by circumstances to change direction.
But I believe in another idea. Keep concious of your self. When the time and realization comes, change, or time will change you anyway and it won't be nice.
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