I don’t know exactly what to post.
Good thing, I was on a jeepney ride with four old women who were trying to fatally convince one another that what they individually say is actually the truth; like preachers on busy street corners telling everyone to stop believing on false “Gods”, false doctrines, and the killer line of course, to mend our ways and follow the “real truth” lest suffer the anger of God. Wow, is there such a thing as a real truth or semi-real truth?
These women were actually discussing the fact that another strong typhoon is hovering closely near our country and is gathering strength to pour in its fury to hapless victims; as if the previous typhoons that had brought tremendous flooding and damages to properties and crops were not enough.
Though most of their opinions were poles apart, all of a sudden they instantaneously agreed that all these typhoons, flooding, earthquakes and miseries of men are all God’s punishment to humanity for its sinfulness and treachery to the “truth”. Or as they qualified it, the “real truth”.
I felt Jack Nicholson screaming inside my membrane: “You can’t handle the truth!”
There are always some reverberating effects to our ears and a small something being pinched inside us whenever we hear the word “truth”.
What is really the truth?
Truth is, I don’t also really know the “whole truth”.
The truth is always being challenged by the personalities, behaviors, attitudes and interests that surround it. It could easily be manipulated but very difficult to be faithful with especially when the truth runs counter to a personal agenda. It is like a face-to-face confrontation between the death that will give you eternal life and the instant gratification that will give you eternal damnation.
Many students have even understood the truth as could be defined by particular situations, instances and call of practicality. Gone were the days for some when the truth is nothing but the truth, no matter what the circumstances could be: or simply put it, the truth could never be compromised.
I once asked a big group of students if they cheat during examinations and on making their assignments. And they unanimously roared the affirmation like hungry lions as if showing their pride on doing the act.
Some even shared that cheating is not bad; it is an act of generosity for the one who gives the answers and a academic salvation for the one who copied. It has somewhat taken the new definition as not only an act of generosity but also of a “fad” among some of the teens. Better to cheat than to fail so they say.
It is therefore quite a big challenge for educators today on strictly implementing a “No Cheating” policy inside the classroom or even inside the university when what the students see in the different public and private institutions are big political figures who went unpunished after cheating bigtime on government projects and contracts, election and even on face-to-face confrontations regarding irregularities on governance. Colluding to twist the truth and showering the graces of financial rewards to all those who wants to join the financial bandwagon; these are the concrete challenges to everyday learning of students and parenting. Better to cheat than to fail.
Hey, I am not immaculate. I also cheated or haven’t exactly said the truth on many instances of my life. But I think does not mean that I cannot speak of the truth nor choose what is true anymore. At least I haven’t cheated to make thousands and millions live on daily misery.
A student particularly went up to me on one occasion and said: “Why are you so strict with us regarding the “No Cheating” policy and even punishes us when we err when many of our elected officials are cheating here and there and they are not punished but even get riches and more powerful?”
Felt Jack screaming again: “You can’t handle the truth!”
But my simple reply was: “Because we don’t want you to grow up cheating like them.”
That is the difficult truth we are all wrestling with.
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What’s the word count of this post, bro?
For someone who didn’t know what to post you said an awful lot
You’ve got a nice training, I see. Well done. LOL.
Here’s a fave quote on truth by Andre Gide:
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It is the truth Bro, I was really stuck in the middle of nowhere when I was thinking of what to post. I was thinking of what to write since last night even on my way to work and the jeepney ride was an excellent place to pick up an unlikely blog post from old women.
It still holds true: Old people are full wisdom. In case their futile discussion gave me some idea of what to write.
That quote hit the nail right on its head!
Check out this comment on my post about Ondoy:
For the entire world’s sake, listen to
the gospel preached by Beloved and
Honorable Evangelist Wilde E. Almeda!.
Attend our church services and hear
the TRUTH.
If you want to be spared from more
tragedies that will befall THOSE WHO
DON’T WANT TO FACE and HEAR THE TRUTH,
which is most of the world, come to
JESUS Miracle Crusade International
Ministry and start following the
LORD’s commandments and serving Him!
What about that one?
Extreme suspicion. That’s how I deal with these kind of people. It’s just me. It’s always my instinct to pry into gift horses’ mouth, especially if it’s heaven and truth they’re talking about.
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They say they know the truth.
The truth I know though is that their pastor told the whole nation that he is will cut his throat if De Venecia will not win the 1998 presidential polls; coz he said, God has spoken to him of the truth that De Venecia will win.
Now, no need for suspicion there.
Haha. By the way, I just watched The Ugly Truth yesterday. So funny.
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I watched the Ugly Truth too, and it is really one hilarious movie; of course with the hottie Katherine as the lead star, it is a blockbuster movie at least for me…
I’ve watched yesterday,”The Ugly Truth” too and it was hilarious for me. Try watching, “I Love you, Man”, you’ll laugh your heart out.
Students would “grow” into this culture if teachers don’t inculcate in them the value of honesty. College students are not so very difficult to teach though, you’ll just have to show them the disadvantages of cheating. I show them the pros and cons and leave them to mull over it, and almost always, they will respond positively to the challenge.
You’ll have also to show them that you trust them. You could not encourage positive behavior if you teach them to be honest but stand guard like a hound dog. Treat them like honest persons and they would respond accordingly.
Showing by example is also a strong motivation for them. These traits belong to the affective domain, so they should be taught through “actions”.
Thought provoking post, Elmot. Cheers!
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Teachers are indeed a very important part of a student’s life; they guide, teach, discipline, listen and counsel.
I will totally agree on that one Mam; that students need to see a model of the values you want to inculcate to them. It is not with a reward and punishment that I think students will learn more especially when it comes to telling the truth or being honest, but by affirming and recognizing that they have the capacity to be honest…and that they are honest.
There are I think two systems that is working on the same goal: first someone who believes that using punishment as a tool for certain behaviors to be adopted by students and second by positive reinforcement and affirmation of the basic goodness (which I call in short, “love”).
With of course the second I see as the more effective tool, for students will not grow with resentment to the one who has taught them and trained them.
It’s called “moral relativity” and in the case of cheating, it’s not really the “truth” or “the truth” we’re talking about, rather it’s the act of honesty.
Factors like context, intent, benefits and risks are all given consideration and that forms the basis of whether to act honestly or not. And quite frankly, it’s an entirely different discussion about the so-called “truth.”
Still, students do find it difficult to be honest when the faculty and administrators themselves are the ones who stifle the search for truth and create an atmosphere where white lies are a common fare.
Oops! I’ve once more smeared the good name of our university.
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Truth can be relative. I suddenly remember that masterpiece by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Was it Rashomon? I guess it is.
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Honesty is one part of an act in adherence to the truth.
That is teaching and leading by example, I guess. It is entirely different when teaching to be honest or always advocate for the truth unlike teaching basic algebraic expressions or the law of gravity.
As they say, a teacher’s most effective instructional material and visual aid is himself.
And students are quick to know if a teacher or an administrator for this matter is just playing games with them…
Smeared the good name? LOL! That is part and parcel of the dialectic process.
My addled brain is not helping me at all this morning. But there’s someone who said you can’t survive today if you don’t know how to lie. Because you will get shot at. Or killed. Sometimes instantly. Without reason or rhyme.
It’s not an argument for dishonesty or paean for untruths.
Lying and cheating is just a handy survival skill. Fair enough?
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Oh, and that would include Jose Rizal, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Ninoy Aquino among the list of those who were silenced for telling the truth?
When it is already a matter of serious life and death situation? I cannot judge a person for lying if hungry lions are already awaiting for a sumptuous human meat. But if one chooses the truth despite of the threat of sudden death, he will for sure earn for himself a lonesome bronze statue along the major hi-ways.
Very good post!
It must be so difficult to try to teach, “Do as we say, not as we do”.
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It was like my father used to do telling me not to smoke for it is bad for the health, while he was holding a burning stick of cigarette on the one hand…ehehehhe!
I agree with Jan, Elmot. For someone who had nothing to say, you have exceeded the 500 word “speed limit”, haha.
Now, I will play the devil’s advocate here and tell you what the real “truth” is. Did you guess it yet? Yes, the truth is that you have just optimized this post for the word “truth”. Talking about keyword density, lol. Sorry Elmot, you know me. I had to come up with something like this:)
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I just got so fired up with the discussion of the old ladies on the jeepney, and they gave me the words to say.
Wow, this is a post totally optimized for the word truth? Hmmmm…I never really thought about that. I was actually thinking that this post is devoid of any search engine optimization.
Good thing you came by to remind my that I have actually written a good number of the keyword “truth” for this post.
H
Hi Elmot, you’ll have to delete the previous, blank comment. My keypads are acting up again. he he he he.I can’t help but react to Ditesco’s observation. So, I will have to be uninspired too, to come up with an optimized post….hmmmmm…perhaps , my next post?
Jena Isle´s last blog ..Building a Lifelong Relationship with Your Daughter-in-Law
Let it be, Elms.
That lonely H in the comment box means, “Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Hapless and forlorn am I today. Because it’s my birthday and no one pays me no heed.”
Happy birthday mother!
Jen, that’s a gem of a comment. You said, “So, I will have to be uninspired too, to come up with an optimized post…” Ironic, eh?
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So it’s Mam Jena’s big day? That keyboard is actually conspiring to reveal this wonderful day huh?
Indeed ironic. Finding something out of nothing? That is a magic trick I guess. And for you Bro, you have pulled the rabbit out of the black hat for so many times on your blog when you were telling me you don’t know what to write but has actually come up with Pulitzer winning pieces.
Hello Jan,
You know that’s not true. It’s a lie…he he he…in keeping with the theme of Elmot. I am overwhelmed with the “love” from all quarters. Pati cell phone ko bumigay,,,,JOLP…
But I’m being defensive so I’ll just say: the truth is, I just want to thank you guys for the love.
The world need more people like you.
Jena Isle´s last blog ..Building a Lifelong Relationship with Your Daughter-in-Law
Noted Mam. Notorious keypads…LOL!
Someone told me before that the valley of the uninspired is full of growing weeds of beautiful ideas.
LOL – its like the guy who was asked, err, forced to sing and said he can’t because he’s not ready and out of nowhere handed a music Tape and said, “Honestly, Im not ready – okay here’s the tape, Side B, its cued already.”
When are you going to blog about 4 younger women and aptly title it “We can handle the truth? ” – hehe. Where’s the Doc?
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I am pretty sure you are not that guy who always brings with him his tape ready to be played when the circumstance calls for it, LOL!
Sorry, but I can’t lie about it, they are really old women…But I will be happy enough to blog about four young lovely and beautiful women in the near future Bro. Title? The Influenza Bloggers Can Handle the Naked Truth, LOL!
Sounds exciting, and Doc Z for sure can do the honors on introducing me to four lovely young women to have a jeepney ride with so that I will have the divine inspiration to write a post about them *wink*
Now I understand what DiTesco meant by optimizing this post with the word truth. I am trying to do that in my posts. he he he. But, I can’t seem to put my finger on it. Poetry and short stories are a bit tricky at the same time, it would be interesting to learn how to optimize them. he he he.
Okay, truth is, those poor women might have had their bizarre ideas about the onslaught of typhoons in our country and agreed that it was God who is punishing us. Yikes!!! If a stone fell from heaven and hit their heads at the same time, would that be an act of God? So, no insurance then?
Okay, never mind. Just had a hearty lunch, I guess my brain has too much glucose or shall we say, “sugar buzz.” LOL
I also learned how to cheat and not to cheat when I was in school. In high school, my classmate never copied from anyone, but when we had this one quiz, he asked what my answer was and I gave it to him. (don’t worry, it was the right answer, but I don’t think it was the right thing to do)
Lessons learned bro.
Your post rocks.
Z
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I don’t know but I think individual poems are quite difficult to optimize unless DiTesco has some other perspective.
God’s punishment? Oh come on. That was the olden times. I don’t have a direct access to God but blaming God, isn’t just bizarre but stupid. I was wishing that a stone had fell from the heavens to hit and with a note saying, “Hey, you are pointing the wrong person. -God-”
On my part, I really restrained not to cheat during exams since elementary days. And when sometimes I would hit a wall trying to look for answers, I would just simply end up submitting my paper. But I also cheated especially on assignments before that I could not just comprehend.
I am pretty sure you had a great lunch…”hugzzz” Wahahaha! AnTsweet!
Have you heard of the saying, “It’s better to cheat than to repeat”? Hehe.
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Oh yeah! Hahhaha, but that line was more common during my elemenatary years.
the truth is too hot to handle. what is that girl doing in the pic? hehe.
i remember an incident in my high school. one of my classmates was not able to graduate because she cheated on a finals exam. there were a lot others who cheated, but she made herself too obvious, copying answers in front of the teacher.
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That girl is trying to decode a anagram from the Da Vinci Code.
Poor classmates of yours. Others may say that she is still an amateur on that arena.
Poor her, she lost that golden opportunity to graduate with just one incident.
For me, I would not even dare gamble with such a condition.
Big question Bro, no easy answer. We can only stammer in the dark…
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And the more we search for answers, we only find more questions…
I was also very strict with my former students regarding cheating. Aside from the big “No Cheating” written on the board, meron ding “Cheaters go to hell” na nakasulat, as if naman makokonsensya sila ano, haha! 2 seats apart din sila, walang ibang gamit sa desk except for test paper and ballpen. Fortunately, I didn’t catch anyone cheating naman.
Some of the funny things I heard from my naughty students were “It’s better to cheat than to repeat” and “if others can cheat, why can’t I?”
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I am the more friendly type of implementing this “No Cheating Policy”, but if one erred, there is no question that he needs to face the consequences.
Students have really come to twist honesty into so many funny forms and rationalizations just to help themselves and find justification for their actions.