Disclaimer
This post may have similarities (albeit not intentionally) to psychology or other psychological or cognitive medical domains. This is coincidental and this post is not related to, providing, diagnosing, treating, explaining, or in any other way associated with any medical facts, opinions, advice, or treatments. This post is provided for entertainment purposes only and is not designed to teach any person how to evade honesty. Any use of the techniques included in this article are done at your own risk. No permission, knowledge, consent, association, or other relationship or agreement is established between this article (or the author thereof) and any entity that reads, distributes, or utilizes this article or any portion thereof.
Introduction
The truth you know is only the truth because having a set of facts to reassure you and provide you comfort is necessary to ensure you can operate in this life without having to continuously evaluate and orient yourself to your environment. The real truth of the matter is, in fact, that every fact, ever learned lesson, every memory is only true under a predefined set of circumstances. While that may seem dramatic it is mostly true and in this post we will consider the temporal aspect (also known as the “temporal viewpoint”) of truth and how this aspect of truth can be shifter to craft truth into a form in which it existed at another point in time.
Temporal Aspect Shifting Simplified
When asked a question that lacks temporal aspect (a time reference or time delimiter) the answer provided uses a temporal aspect that will provide the answer that results in the most favorable outcome while permitting the examiner to assume the answer is in relation to the suggested or hinted temporal aspect. Thus, the examiner believes the answer falls within a time range that has not been explicitly stated while the answer provider has selected an answer that is true under a chosen set of circumstances. This permits the answer provider the greatest flexibility in crafting a narrative or truth of his/her choosing.
Why This Matters
Humans define themselves by the realities they choose to accept based on the knowledge they feel comfortable accepting. If truth is malleable as suggested then the facts people use to define themselves are rather pliable. This can be used to manipulate not only a single person into doing unspeakable things (think about cult members whom gave children poisoned drinks) but it can also be used to coerce entire societies and civilizations (the dark ages, the Holocaust, Mccarthyism, and so forth).
Temporal Aspect Shifting Example
A news reporter asks a person if they committed a particular crime:
“Ma’am, did you park in a handicap parking space when you went to the gym to use the tanning booth?”
The accused did commit the offense on her most recent visit to the gym but shifts the temporal aspect by thinking about a time when she did not park illegally then answers honestly:
“I did not park in a handicap spot” and may even continue the sentence “that other time I went to the gym” silently in her head.
When the accused used shifted the time reference the statement became true under a set of circumstances that still met the requirements of the question.
Countermeasures
Despite what some may say, the truth can be very fluid to those whom understand facts and perceptions do not exist in a vacuum, they exist in a highly dynamic and evolving environment; therefore, it is essential to remove some of the momentum and transformation from those same facts and truths. When submitting an inquiry ensure there are precise upper and lower temporal constraints. When presented with an answer evaluate and clarify the temporal constraints to determine if they align with the sentiment of the inquiry. Never use “have you ever” or “at any point in time” questions because these tend to lend the opportunity for the respondent to find a solitary instance of an event that may not align with the intent of the question.
Conclusion
Truth is what you are lead to believe but that knowledge only exists in a vacuum. Truth is dynamic, as are facts. By understanding temporal aspect shifting you may be able to ask better questions and arrive at more informed and possibly more accurate answers. Telling the truth is not always a truthful endeavor so keep your wits about you as the world around you is reshaped into the truth as it exists today.
A Solitary Last Thought
At one point in time it was true and factual that Native American tribes were flourishing across north America. That truth has shifted to a point where currently many languages and cultures no longer exist and Native Americans have extensively diminished land holdings. Truth changes with time no matter how anyone feels about those changes.