How is it possible for something to reflect an untrue characteristic of itself?

Question

For example, truth. How can one have a false perception of something that is true?

Answer 1

awww I like this question,

Depending on what the subject is. How do you know that what is green isn't actually blue for everyone else? If your going to perceive the material worl using only your eyes, then what is to say that your eyes actually see the world properly? You have no point of reference, because you were born with the same eyes you have now. If something you know is different for someone else, who's eyes are more true? You cannot say because you just don't know.

But if you want to use metaphysic truth, then EVERY person DOES perceive it as the same thing, unless their ability to perceive metaphysic truth is hampered by disease. The Christian would say "the lord is true", but the huindu would say "brahma is true". I argue that they are both the same thing, but we see them in different religion contexts.

Answer 2

it seems you have two questions here

by untrue characteristic, this could mean a characteristic that doesnt come freely, that the subject would reject

so killing someone might not be a true characteristic of a particular person, yet in war or if someone killed their child, they might do it

as to a false perception of something that is true, that would depend, some mental conditions can cause people to imagine things that are not there, or misinterpret things, but other then that, we decide what is true or not

for example, my perception of someone telling the two of us we should eat, might be that they think we are thin, or dont know how to feed ourselves or when
your perception might be that they care about us, and this is a loving statement
their perception could be they feel they should remind us, its a responsibility they carry
each perception is a true perception, it is each persons reality of what occured
also, people dont often have different or false perceptions of what the facts of a truth are, its when they put meaning to it, that variations come in
a tornada comes threw and knocks a tree into my home, leveling a room
these are facts, this is truth
is this bad or good? this is perception
you may see it as bad and negative, and destructive
i may see it as good and positive, as i wanted the tree gone, and i wanted to remodel that room, so nothing destructive happened, it just started the process of a positive thing

Answer 3

That is possible when someone is not honest with himself. Like there is a society 12,000 miles away from here. They lie every day to have a better life. They cheat each other and do anything wrong to have a better life. And after doing all that stuff they start complaining about unfortuante things going on in their society. They truely believe that itsnot their fault. But, for real, whose fault is it? Isn't that true that a new born baby a pure and can easyli right and wrong? so what happens? Why can't I be sure about what I tell is right or wrong after 20 years living in this world? I guess i know y. Its all about myself.

Answer 4

Before I clicked on your question to read the detail I was going to say that for some people, just smiling in a mirror is reflecting an untrue characteristic. But now that I've read it...I'm too sleepy to think deeper than that. =p

Answer 5

Because of free will I suppose. People don't necessarily have to believe anything they don't want to believe - true or not. If I don't want to believe the sky is blue, I don't have to. Pax - C

Answer 6

The eye is in the beholder.