Andre Gide wrote, "The color of truth is grey". Is that why most people are gray?

Question

For me the world is black and white (no racial reference intended), friend or foe, good or evil. Do you agree? When we avoid the gray are we deluding ourselves? Is the color of truth really gray? Are we doing harm by making up our minds that things are either one one or another, but not both (gray)?

Answer 1

Maybe Gide was gray himself. I think so. The colour of truth, whenever we think we find it, is golden yellow, or bright violet, I reckon. Maybe it depends on the particular kind of synethesia one has! As a painter Gold/yell and violet, and viridian green with a touch of ochre are my favorite colours, and the family motto is "Truth and Wisdom", so maybe I'm biased. Anyway, I don't think I've ever seen what people call gray in my life, even on battle ships, which always reflect some colour from the water. My ex-wife used to remark on the gray clouds and they always had a touch of ochre, or violet, or Alizarin Crimson in 'em to my eyes. Certainly to "grey" any colour you add a bit of its complement. So perhaps Gide wa suggesting, consciously or not, that the truth is never black or white, but a mix of the two - and maybe with something added (I'd call the additive "insight", but I don't know the colour for that!) Certainly one has to make choices in life, and decisions - but unlike George Bush we shouldn't delude ourselves that any situation is simplistic! Nor that the middle of the road is the appropriate place to be in every situation. Life requires the courage to make choices, and the ability to learn from mistakes.

Answer 2

If truth is relegated to simple terms of Black and White, Good and Bad, then yes, one can call it grey. But in the end, what you're making a ghastly generalization compounded by an insanely general term that can be applied to so many different situations and circumstances that calling it gray is simply too limiting.

The color of Truth is a 128-bit video processor with 4 gigs of memory and optional vga/dvi adaptors.

Answer 3

A perfect example supporting this saying would be any interaction between two people. Later, these people are asked to describe the interaction. Sure, there will only be two stories (black and white), but because people tend to interpret everything in their encounters (to include the other person's feelings, mannerism, etc.), the truth will be "grey", somewhere in between.

Answer 4

If truth is gray, then the rest of the false universe is exclusively either white or black (or a shade!). Which adds up to the same damn thing as the B/W world of bivalence.

Answer 5

i belive this world is the combination of darkness and light,as you you know a bright light(white) is the collaction of beautifull colors,only to become "true" when a black angel(darkness) meets it ,otherwise it is going to be only a bright light(white),meaningless i might say,so darkness unmask the colors ,"the truth" ,so only grey can't represent "truth",all the things(colors) unmasked (your eyes see )are the representatives of "truth",when we not only avoid but also try to interrupt the natural arrangments&structures of this colors(truth) we are .............on our way to hell according to jesus(it is like saying the shape of a tree is like the shape of a cow to someone who haven't seen a tree before). For the last question ,no, in this life everybody has a reason to live,this reason is everything ,because this reason is the truth that someone have found out this mix of colors(if i understood you).

Answer 6

They have to be shades of gray due to the fact that world and it's belief systems run on perception both personal and global. Perhaps personal perception may be black and white but a global perception would be a mosaic of the personal and lead back to a shade of gray.

Answer 7

Colour Of Truth

Answer 8

Of course... if there's no compromise, we end up b*tching like the Dems and Repubs do on a daily basis... but that's life. I personally believe that it's fine to be black-and-white AFTER you explore gray areas. You need to know both sides and UNDERSTAND them before you make a decision as to which side you'd rather fight for.

Answer 9

Emotionally, everything is black and white, but logically everything is shaded. Emotion is therefore powerful and logic is merely wise. Logic finds absolutes as bare concepts devoid of reality. Emotion does not analyse - it delivers judgement - one way or the other.

Trust you'll find this answer white rather than grey.

Answer 10

Just meant to illustrate that truth is not absolute. No right or wrong, black or white. Always relative. The neutral point between two opposing views.