Culture and Truth

Nobody does anything he/she knows is wrong without having a mitigating factor. This means that no one actually does anything wrong and knowing that it is wrong without rationalizing that it is perfectly fine.

This means that when we attempt to label someone and engage in a categorical enumeration, we do it because we do not know how to make sense of it and try to stereotype it without really knowing what the true meaning of a category is.

This means that when we categorize something as good, bad, dark, sunny, positive and negative- we assumed the universality of the category and hence essentialized the quality. This means that when we label someone or something as such, we assumed that in all contexts, he or she must behave this way regardless of the environment. Take for example, a kid whom was younger had an attention deficit issue and as he grows up, he is stuck with a label called attention deficit disorder, assuming that there is a clinical definition for it. This means that he must proved otherwise this label which attaches a certain quality to this particular label. In everyday context, we would mention "he is the kid with ADD for example." Suddenly everyone uses a form of selective memory to judge that he/she has ADD. Let's take for example, a psychiatrist has a checklist of characteristics which defines a person with ADD, and maybe he had too much caffeine that day and viola, he is the kid with ADD. From then on, he has to prove that he does NOT have ADD, rather than demonstrate the symptoms of ADD.

Everyone assumes "without the burden of proof" or prima facie that since he is certified by psychiatrist, he/she then must have ADD. This means that just because an expert witness says he is guilty, he then must be guilty. This means that the label is like an "A" on the adulterer in "The Scarlett Letter." Where since he/she is labelled as "the kid with ADD", he/she must proved that he/she is "chaste" again or in this case, does not demonstrate the tendency that ticks all the checkboxes of a person with "ADD".

All professions and disciplines probably must have gone through a certain amount of empirical studies and peer review before certain "theories" are accepted. I am not disputing this particular fact, but if the search for truth or Science goes through so much contention, it surprises me that everyone lived everyday in which they take cultural judgements and situational perspectives as innate truth.

Everyone have their point of view and have the liberty to express their opinion. But cultural judgements and decisions that you make everyday are part of social makeup and have nothing to do with the truth.

I quote the above example because to show the ecological fallacy of this thinking. There is no cause and effect in cultural judgements on the truth other than what you deemed as social reality. This means that even suddenly gravity does not exist and we all start floating around- assuming that it is the truth-, but you insist that people must have done wrong and hence the world has lost it's anger, and "something" is punishing you, this is a cultural judgement. It still didn't answer the question whether why we are floating around.

And then from this particular cultural judgement, you start to think that judgement day is coming, and you are waiting to meet the maker, and then you start to see the "maker" everywhere, you then start to find the "maker" without finding out whether the magnetic field in the earth's core is having some problems. This is a prima facie judgement- you judge without needing to find a burden of proof.
I couched it in religious undertones because it is the most clearest but it can happen in all context.

Take for example statements like "he is not smiling because he is very lonely and is sad" or " he is alone and hence must be a foreigner." "he bring very little money with him and so he must be poor." " he did not notice the pretty girl so he must be gay."

If I couched it in these statements, it sounds absurd. But in reality, that is what we do everyday. We see a phenomenon, and then we see the reality. I am not asking you to do a test on everything that you see but can you see the amount of misunderstanding just based on these observed "phenomenon".

After taking the train and bus, the last few months I cannot help it but notice the amount of "yes/no" cultural judgements based on first glance- and when the evidence is interrogated, like in prima facie cases- everyone shys away or get nervous.

In a very congested space, I normally mind my own business but I think that if anyone has a problem with trying to come into terms with things you do not understand, there is always private transport or taxi, in this way, your cultural sensitivities will not be offended. Hence that is why do not impose your "truth" in a tight space, no one really welcome your personal opinion.