piasharn | Any Optometrists reading this?

A few days ago, I posted a question concerning an email I had recieved. A few people were kind enough to point out that I was misreading the person's statement. He wasn't saying that being too open-minded had caused the downfall of a civilization, he was saying that being too open-minded was causing the historical destruction of some societies because people are sugar-coating the history books.

It makes a lot more sense this way, and I can't believe I was stupid enough to miss that. However...

In light of the new interpretation, there is something about that comment that is really irking me. This is: that sugar-coating history is somehow open-minded.

Perhaps it's just me, but I've always thought that if a person is truly open-minded, they will accept the Truth, no matter how painful or bitter it may be. I don't think an open-minded person would alter the contents of history to make a certain group look better or more politically correct. At the very least, I wouldn't change things around, and I consider myself to be fairly open-minded. (Well, I try to be... and fail miserably most of the time, but that's a differnt story.)

Then again, how can we tell fact from fiction when it comes to historical reconstruction? How many of us were actually present at most of the events that we read about? Even when it comes to something that happened five minutes ago, people can give radically different interpretations of a single event. From the moment something happens, we start to slant things. (Often in our own favor.) Sometimes it's on purpose, but most of the time it's unconcious.

How are we supposed to record the truth of events when we see the world through distorted vision?

And I'm pointing my finger at myself here as well. Sitting down and thinking about this topic has shaken me up a bit. I try to see things as truly as possible. I want to see them as they really are. But I'm still mortal and fallible. I don't know how to correct my sight. How do I stop doing something that I'm not even aware I'm doing in the first place?

Where's boddhistava when you need one?