Quick Summary
- Life is full of ups and downs, with both joyous moments and challenging times.
- Building meaningful relationships and finding purpose in our actions can bring fulfillment and happiness.
- The truth of life is that our future is uncertain, and spending lots of time planning means less time living now, which affects your future once more.
Table of Contents
What is the Truth of Life?
Truth means something correct or real. The concept of the truth of life means that there are some truths about the world, which we do not acknowledge or think about in our daily lives.
The sad truth of life gives the impression that it is a sacred and unaccessible fact that is real and is happening to everyone, but we do not think about it because it is painful. Nevertheless, these deep truths of life have to be discussed. Because they reinforce the fact that life is short, nothing is permanent and time is the biggest asset.
While encouraging self-awareness, these bitter truths of life help us prepare for challenges, foster personal growth and development, promote empathy and understanding, and lead to more meaningful connections that give us a fruitful life.
Let’s discuss the reality of life and learn about the visions of dignitaries through their truth-of-life quotes.
Painful Truths of Life
1. Death is Inevitable
Our time on Earth is limited. We are born from the soil of the Earth and must die in it. When we acknowledge our mortality, we understand that we will die one day, our loved ones will die one day and tragedy will strike without warning.
Some die young, some live their lives to the end. So the truth about life is that time flies, and life feels short when you get older. Suddenly you are on your deathbed and reminiscing all the memories you have made.
Live a meaningful life, work with purpose, and be kind to others, only then you will feel at peace when it is time to say goodbye.
2. Everything is Impermanent
Material and emotion are impermanent – this is the biggest truth about life because when you leave this world, there is nothing you can take to the cemetery or the cremation ground. All that goes is the tears and love of the ones you left behind.
Your achievements, wealth, relationships, emotions, and everything you had in the world, will remain in the physical realm that you have departed.
These are materialistic things that matter less with time. Your emotions and hurt are healed over time, but whatever situation you are in, won’t be the same. Because nothing is permanent in this world, except for change. This is the reality of life.
3. The Existence of Suffering
Most suffering is a construct of your mind because you are not content with what you have, materialistically and emotionally. You create unrealistic standards for yourself and no one is perfect, so these standards are not met.
Whether it is the salary you earn, whether it is the quality of life you live, whether it is your working organs or relationships. Till you are unsatisfied, there is a negative voice inside you that creates anger.
This anger promotes self-hate, and you feel like nothing is going well in your life. Until you see the silver lining, you will feel that you are suffering, irrespective of the circumstances.
4. Life is Unfair
Karma may or may not exist. The concept of karmic justice is to keep your spirits high afterlife, which is unfair to you. As much as you would like to deny it, life is just unfair sometimes.
It is frustrating, it is unfair. That is the truth of life. But remember, whatever happens, has a good reason. You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control how you look at it. Try to look at the positives, and it will become much easier to deal with.
5. The Limits of Human Potential
As philosophers say, there is no limit to human potential unless you say there is. The limits of human potential lie in our perceptions and beliefs. Our mindset restricts us from thinking outside the box.
Many experts have given truth-of-life quotes on human potential. It is also limited in the sense that there are things beyond human control. Like death, cosmic activity, time, and other intangible things that the universe decides.
Humans also have a physical limit till which they can exert themselves. Human potential is, nothing before the mighty universe and its ways, and it is internally peaceful to accept that humans are not invincible.
6. Roles of Luck and Chance
The truth of life is that it is unfair. Luck and chance decide what you end up with. If the Truth and Dare bottle lands on you, it is by luck. If something good happens when it was not supposed to, it is your luck
The things you don’t have control over, things you don’t decide for yourself, are based on luck and chance. For example, the circumstances and family we are born into.
Luck and chance are decided by the universe, and they sometimes play a part in what happens to you, maybe a job you land or if you’re not at the site where an accident happened.
7. The Complexity of Relationships
People who live good lives, credit it to the relationships they have had. Meaningful relationships with people around you make it easier to swim through the deep waters called life. However, truth about life is not as simple.
Relationships can be challenging to maintain and complex in their very nature. They require compassion, forgiveness, understanding, patience and most importantly, seeing the good in others.
Not everyone can do this and hence, some complexities arise in your relationship with your parents, relatives, friends, colleagues, and partner. You have to navigate through them, keeping their perspective in mind, and construct mutual trust to sail through smoothly.
8. Societal Norms and Expectations Hold Power
Societal norms are conventions that shape your behavior in society. It influences the way you dress, eat, work, think, and almost every aspect of your life. Societal expectations seem like the truth of life, which is not right.
This is ingrained into us while we are growing up, so when it’s time to make a decision, societal expectation becomes the default. But know that this is what society thinks and propagates, not you.
If there is something you want to do, do it. Society will leave you alone when it wants and join you when it wants. But you have to carve a path with your ideas and beliefs because it is your life, not theirs.
9. Evil and Cruelty are Real
Everyone’s nature is a product of their circumstances. You cannot choose what circumstances you are born in and shapes your nature positively and negatively. People who are in scarcity resort to evil and unethical means of life.
People who feel entitled do not realize their imposition on others can be taken as cruelty. Discrimination and bias are evils for some and ‘normal’ for some. And this is the painful truth of life that we are unable to change, even after decades of decolonization.
10. The Future is Uncertain
A lot of what happens to us is outside of our control, and it happens without us expecting it. One tragedy, one move, and one small incident can change your mindset and life forever.
The truth of life is that our future is uncertain, and the more time you spend on planning it, the lesser you live in the present, which impacts your future again. Anything can happen at any time, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
Live in the present, and enjoy the moment because this particular moment will not come back again. Future planning is necessary, but when you do not see an option that favors you, go with the flow. Something will come up and change your future.
11. Your Obsession to Find Happiness Stops You from Achieving it
People always complain about not being happy. However, they forget that happiness is always around them. It is only about realizing and feeling it. Once you do it, you will always be happy.
12. What Counts is How You Bear it, Not What You Bear
The idea behind this vital truth about life is what matters the most is how well you carry yourself and not what you bring into the world. It doesn’t matter whether you have happy or sad moments; instead, what is important is how you face and handle that situation.
13. Kill the Lies
Killing the lies means finding out one thing in your life that is not necessary and killing it. You should not think about relationships in this. Instead, you need to figure out something that should not be a part of your life and should never come back.
Read more- Good Habits That Will Help You Transform Your Life
14. People are Selfish, and So Are You
Nobody wants to admit this complex reality of life. However, it is the truth. The truth is, we all think about it at some point in time or another. It is fine, and nothing is wrong with it. It is the best way to become stronger. Once you are more robust, you can help others.
15. To Great Extent, You Live the Life You Create for Yourself
You alone own your life. Nobody can decide for you; others can only attempt to convince you. Though they are not in your shoes, they can walk beside you. Thus, be sure the path you choose is in line with your desires and intuition, and don’t be afraid to forge new roads or change course when necessary.
16. Failure Doesn’t Mean Success
There’s a saying that goes, “Failure is good because it leads to growth“. However, failure might also cause suffering. There are moments when failing merely hurts because you don’t get better or discover light. Admitting that the idealized portrayal of loss doesn’t always align with reality is acceptable. You may occasionally be knocked down and find it difficult to get back up. Know that you are not alone in those situations. Look for someone to confide in.
Read more: Become a Life Coach
The Truth of Life Quotes
Here are some powerful truth-of-life quotes by eminent personalities that highlight the truth about the world we live in.
- “Life becomes easier when you learn to accept the apology you never got.” –R. Brault
Meaning: It means finding peace and moving forward becomes simpler when you let go of waiting for others to acknowledge their wrongs. - “If you don’t fall, how are you going to know what getting up is like?” –Stephen Curry
Meaning: Experiencing failure teaches you the value and feeling of overcoming obstacles and succeeding. - “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” –Nelson Mandela
Meaning: The most admirable aspect of life is not the ability to avoid failures or setbacks, but rather the strength and resilience to get back up and persevere after each setback. - “You must be the change you wish to see in the world” –Mahatma Gandhi
Meaning: To inspire societal transformation, start by embodying the ideals and changes you want to see in the world yourself. - “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity” –Amelia Earhart
Meaning: Making the initial choice to take action is the hardest part; everything that follows is just a matter of perseverance and determination. - “In this life, we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love” –Mother Teresa
Meaning: Achieving greatness often lies in performing small acts with profound love and compassion, rather than in accomplishing large feats. - “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success” –Alexander Graham Bell
Meaning: Success is primarily dependent on being well-prepared before taking action, emphasizing the importance of readiness and planning for achieving one’s goals effectively. - “It often requires more courage to dare to do right than to fear to do wrong” –Abraham Lincoln
Meaning: It usually takes more bravery to choose to act ethically than to give in to the fear of making mistakes. - “If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time” –Steve Jobs
Meaning: What appears to be sudden success is often the result of prolonged effort and persistence. - “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great” –John D. Rockefeller
Meaning: Don’t hesitate to let go of something good if it means you can achieve something even better.
Also read- Finding Happiness: 10 Simple Ways to Stay Happy in Life
Some More Truth of Life Quotes
- Life is innately unfair, and not everyone gets what they deserve.
- Life is a vicious cycle.
- Nobody cares how difficult your life is, so stop looking for sympathy from others.
Embracing the Truth
In short, the truth of life is that we, humans, are on a ticking clock from when we arrive till we die. It is on us how they use their life, for what purpose, to create what kind of relationships, and become the kind of person they want to be.
Time is of the essence, after which death is inevitable. There is nothing guaranteed; tragedy can strike anytime and uncertainty never cedes. Life is characterized by failure, unfairness, and evil. There is nothing you can do about it, other than look at the silver lining and make the best of what you have.
Live your life to the fullest, have a purpose, create meaningful relationships and spread a lot of love, so that there is nothing to regret when you are on your deathbed.
And for more career tips and useful information, view our other blogs on Life Skills.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Societal norms and expectations build a perception of what is right and wrong. For example, many societies are not open to LGBTQ+ relationships and consider it wrong.
Living in such a society will make you think that any relationship apart from a man and a woman is a myth and cannot exist. The norms and expectations become the truth.
Understanding the truths of life makes you acknowledge the importance of time and come to terms with your mortality. You will, hence, make the most out of it by being more active, taking more risks, building meaningful relations, and living a fulfilling life.
If you stay in denial about the truths of life, you will lose out on time.
To cultivate a deeper understanding of the truths of life, it is imperative that you read more on the subject, especially real-life lessons from big names.
Or else, you could read the teachings of various philosophers, understand their viewpoints and derive an interpretation for yourself. Relate it to your own life experiences to understand them better.
If the universe is doing something, it is a test or a way to show you the right track. It is a small part of the grand scheme of things. Remember that if you are sad today, happiness awaits you tomorrow. View every opportunity as a learning experience and fight your hardships.
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