Need To Know

What does it mean to be true? Not just truthful in speech, but true in one’s way of living — in friendship, in love, and in leadership?

For many religiously curious young people today, these questions burn quietly beneath the surface. We long to be sincere, to lead with integrity, to build honest relationships — but in a world shaped by filters, factions, and fast takes, discerning what’s truly true can feel confusing or even naïve.

This essay is an invitation to slow down and look again. Drawing on great thinkers such as Martin Heidegger, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and William James, along with insights from traditional religious views, we’ll explore how different understandings of truth can shape the way we love, lead, and live.

At its heart, this isn’t a philosophical debate for the sake of theory. It’s about how truth claims — moral, religious, interpersonal — guide our actions and form our character. Whether you’re navigating a broken friendship, stepping into a leadership role at school, or wrestling with spiritual doubts, this deeper look at truth can help you find clarity, courage, and meaning.

What To Do

1. Recognize Truth as a Journey, Not a Destination

Martin Heidegger, the 20th-century German philosopher, spoke of truth not as static correctness but as unconcealment — a process by which something hidden becomes known. This idea, rooted in the Greek word aletheia, suggests that truth isn’t always obvious. It unfolds as we live, reflect, and dare to see things as they are.

In relationships, this means we don’t expect instant transparency or perfect understanding. Instead, we become open to discovering what is real — about the other person, ourselves, and the bond between us. A leader, then, is someone who can create space for truth to emerge, rather than imposing their own version of it.

Try asking: What might I be missing here? or What truth is being revealed slowly, not all at once?

2. Attend to How Language Shapes Meaning

Ludwig Wittgenstein, an Austrian philosopher who worked in the philosophy of language, taught that words get their meaning from their use within a language rather than from any inherent or abstract concept they might represent. In relationships and leadership, this insight is crucial. Saying “I appreciate you” isn’t just about the words; it’s about timing, tone, and context. Telling the truth isn’t only about fact-sharing; it’s about communicating in a way that respects the situation and the listener.

Leaders often fall into the trap of believing that clear communication means saying the correct thing. But Wittgenstein reminds us that understanding depends on shared contexts. What builds trust is not just truthfulness, but attuned truthfulness.

In spiritual communities, this might mean being aware of how your language includes or excludes others. Are you speaking in a way that makes your values lived and felt, not just said? If not, it could be called lip service.

3. Value Usefulness, Not Just Absoluteness

William James, an American pragmatist and the first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States, believed that truth is what works—what helps us live better, make better decisions, and move toward what is good. He wasn’t suggesting we make up truth as we go; rather, he emphasized that the worth of a truth is seen in its fruits.

In your leadership, ask: Does this belief help others grow? Does this relationship bring out the best in us? In faith, ask: Does this doctrine bear good fruit in my life?

In friendships, for example, insisting on abstract truth (“I’m right and you’re wrong”) may damage trust. But pursuing useful truth — like understanding what the other person needs or feels — can restore and strengthen the bond.

4. Hold Moral and Religious Truth as Lived Commitments

Truth in moral and religious life often isn’t about proving facts but about embodying values. Theologians have long recognized that moral and spiritual truths are best known through experience and practice, not abstract demonstration.

The Bible, for instance, doesn’t define love as an idea—it shows love in action. The truth of Jesus’s leadership lies not in persuasive argument but in self-giving sacrifice. This kind of truth invites not just agreement, but participation.

So, ask: What would it mean to live as if this were true? Faith is not blind; it is a way of seeing more deeply into the moral shape of reality.

5. Discern Truth in Community

No one holds the whole truth alone. The coherence theory of truth reminds us that a claim is most believable when it fits into a wider, consistent web of beliefs. In our lives, this means testing our understanding against what others see, feel, and know.

In community — whether that’s family, school, a church, or a close circle of friends — we learn to weigh perspectives, challenge assumptions, and refine our moral compass.

This doesn’t mean caving to peer pressure. Rather, it means respecting that the search for truth is both personal and collective. Truth emerges in the between — in dialogue, in humility, in mutual growth.

5 Key Points

1. Truth is more than correctness. Heidegger’s idea of unconcealment invites us to treat truth as a living, unfolding process—especially in relationships.

2. Language matters. Wittgenstein taught us to pay attention to how words function in real life—not just their dictionary definitions.

3. Truth bears fruit. William James emphasized that what matters is whether a belief helps us live well, love well, and lead well.

4. Religious and moral truths are lived. They shape not just what we believe, but how we become—through practice, sacrifice, and love.

5. Truth grows in community. Listening to others and reflecting together helps us discern and refine our understanding.

Learn More

Exploring truth isn’t about solving a puzzle. It’s about learning how to live. Here are some ways to go deeper:

• Reflect on your own experiences. Think of a time when telling the truth changed a relationship. What made it hard? What made it meaningful?
• Practice attentive listening. Before reacting, try to understand where someone is coming from. Truth often appears when we stop to really hear.
• Notice how language functions in your community. What words carry special meaning? How do shared stories shape your group’s sense of what is true?
• Engage with sacred texts not as rulebooks, but as maps—guiding you toward deeper wisdom through story, symbol, and struggle.
• Create space for honest conversations—especially about doubts, differences, and dilemmas. Truth flourishes where people feel safe to speak.

Links & Books

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy on Truth

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy on Faith

“The Varieties of Religious Experience” by William James – A classic exploration of how people live out their faith and how truth is experienced, not just taught.

“The Way of Integrity, Finding the Path to Your True Self” by Martha Beck – A roadmap on the journey to truth and authenticity.

The Bible, Qur’an, or your community’s sacred books (depending on your tradition) – Read slowly and reflectively, with others. Ask: What truth is being revealed here — not just as a claim, but as a call?