The true and the untrue are far more alike than they are different.
True is the antithesis of untrue. Likewise, untrue, the antithesis of true. They are antonyms, as are “good and bad,” and “right and wrong.”
We like to convince ourselves that we are able to decipher the difference between the two, but when we are not told whether the text is true or not, and we fixate on the message rather than the words themselves, we sometimes gather more truth than initially planned to. An autobiography is sold to us as the truth. It happened. It was someone’s life. It’s real. But to tell, and retell a story over and over again, implies that at some point, the purpose of their message is no longer to simply convey their life narrative, rather the purpose lies in the meanings we extract as readers.
A quote that summarizes this idea wonderfully, though not wholly, was said by Catherine Calloway, where “[The text] thus becomes the content, and the vessel becomes the message.”
Upon first glance, two books shelved under the non-fiction category and the fiction, from the outside, appear to be so blatantly obvious that they are not the same... Then, do a double-take. The difference between fiction and non-fiction is a blurred line where the truth is stretched a little longer with one. This implies that no story is true, because it is impossible to completely convey, nonetheless comprehend an event that unfolded through only one perspective, right?
Take a definition for example. A definition is meant to allow people to understand clearer, more straightforwardly. In actuality, the “heart-truth” lies around such definitions. It’s in the details. To include every detail would make the story redundant, and fog the message or the purpose the author is attempting to serve with the text. So, pieces of information here and there are picked apart, meticulously, sometimes replacing information with details that strengthen their message. Again, the only difference between fiction and non-fiction is what the author keeps and adds.
Trying to communicate an idea at the most basic level requires the simplification of abstract thoughts, confining the matter to a series of words. Add some conjunctions here and there, sprinkle in some metaphors, and maybe use hyperboles to add life to the story.
When the true and the untrue fuse, the outcome is no different than a transcript of “real events” as to a fictional story. It cannot be classified as either. All books are a blend of the true and the untrue.
When you look at it this way, the two begin to appear a lot like one another.
Our world is governed by borders. From territories, countries, and ethnicities, to knowledge, people, and beliefs, it’s impossible to steer away from a confined and limited outlook.
The mindset of questioning reality and searching for similarities between two seemingly polar concepts transcends the idea of “true and untrue.” If we apply it to people, ideologies, values, and beliefs, all of us begin to appear a bit more like one another.
When we start to search for ourselves within each other, barriers are broken, walls disintegrate, and making connections doesn’t seem so foreign anymore.
When we shelve individuals under categories, we form preconceived notions of who they are, before seeing all there is to their being. Sometimes, leading to destructive consequences, though not always.
After all, you and I, we are far more alike than we are different.
Olyvia Guo 