Am I the owner of the truth?

The absolute truth encompasses those things we believe apply universally, like natural laws. If we believe a statement or idea to be true we sometimes expect others to follow and enforce it. What do I believe to be true and just? Is it that we are all equal? Does that mean that we all have equal rights and obligations? Must everyone follow the ideas and laws I believe to be true? In the same way many of us expect the light to turn on when we flick the switch, so we have come to believe that written laws control everything we do. In a sense, written laws are usually designed to define expected behavior and regulate our freedom of action.

So why are there so many people breaking written laws? Maybe it is because we are unaware of them or because each of us have different views on how those laws apply to us. For example, history has shown us time and again how certain laws that forbid killing other people have been bypassed for some "superior" motive. As any lawyer will tell us, laws are usually open to interpretation. Those who create them envision situations in which they apply and reasons for applying them. Somehow each of us must interpret these laws and take them into account in our everyday lives. In case we break the law there are others in charge of enforcement and applying penalties as required.

In many respects we must earn our freedom. When we live in society there are laws that we must understand, accept and apply that will help us operate with greater transparency. It is clear to me that those societies where respect and trust for the law and for each of its citizens are upheld, the costs of maintaining law and order are much lower. Even if we were to live alone in a forest, natural laws such as survival of the fittest and gravity would affect us. In the end we would operate best in harmony with nature and its laws.

There are schools of thought that predicate a set of laws and rules that apply to everyone. For me the mere existence of a multiplicity of schools of thought of every kind makes me think that it is natural for humans to interpret ideas and laws, and adapt the way they apply. Even laws such as those expressed in human rights or "thou shall not kill (under any circumstances)" seem to have many exceptions with respect to our local behavior. For these types of laws to apply effectively, each individual must have respect and trust for his fellow man and for the society he belongs to.

Natural laws tend to be universal and apply to us independently of our interpretation. On the other hand, written laws tend to apply to defined groups and require interpretation and acceptance. In this sense written laws must respect our individuality as much as we accept our responsibilities towards the collective. In our everyday life we must balance our rights with our obligations as citizens and participate actively in the definition of laws to ensure that they are representative and will not be open to abuses. It is natural for us to apply the laws we believe in and any idea or law that is imposed unilaterally will surely meet resistance.