how it makes you feel

After all the conversations about truth—

All the strivings, trying, provings, citations, footnotes, fact-checks, and “doing your own research”—the facts tend to fade into the ordinary backdrop of our minds, but something else remains. 

Your picture of your high school history teacher isn’t colored by facts and figures about the civil war. You don’t remember the exact metaphor your dad used to try to explain algebra. And you’re all too quick to forget that important operating procedure your manager explained to you for the third time.

But you still remember in vivid detail joy. Anger. The emotions. Feeling smart, capable, alive, or all too often slow, stupid, unable to shoulder an ordinary burden. 

So now the question is: in your pursuit of truth today, in explaining things today, what gift will you leave for the people around you?

How will you make them feel? 

Thank you. Let’s have a great day.