Albert Einstein published his Theory of Relativity in the years 1905 and 1916. His theories questioned and later enhanced the 200-year-old work of Sir Isaac Newton. In his special theory of relativity, Einstein showed that speed and time are not as absolute as everyday experience suggests; rather they are relative. His two theories have since been the foundation for the research that is being done today. So, if fundamental quantities such as speed and time can be relative, isn’t it possible that the “truth” is relative too?

I, for one, certainly think that the truth too, just like speed and time, is relative based on the perception of the observer. I once read somewhere that it’s not what you are looking at that matters, but it’s what you see that does and I totally agree with that.

The Mona Lisa – a world-famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci – has been on display in the Louvre museum since 1797. This painting has been the center of attention for decades for various reasons. One of those reasons relates to the subject’s expression. The subject has a very ambiguous expression and often leaves people confused on whether she is smiling or frowning.

Various people believe that the subject in the painting is smiling but others argue that she is frowning. But who is right? What is the “truth”? Is the subject smiling or frowning? This very incident shows us that the perceptions of people are different and idiosyncratic to who they are.

Another concept, relativism, says that points of view have no absolute truth or validity, having only relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration.

People often tend to perceive things the way they want to. Is the glass half empty or half full? The optimist says half full. The pessimist says half empty. In reality, it is both. So how can we say that the optimist is right and the pessimist is wrong or vice versa? Is the zebra white with black stripes or black with white stripes?

All of these questions will not have a common and recurring answer if we were to ask them to people. The reality and the truth have no definitions, not unless you look them up in a dictionary. The differences in the perceptions and points of view of people are the sole reasons the world moves forward. These differences in perceptions help us grow and move forward.

This is the “truth”, or at least for me it is. Truth is subjective, beauty is relative, love is unreasonable; thus we have colors and hues and not just black and white. I leave the rest for you to perceive.