Speaking with veracity means conforming to the facts and being accurate in your statements.  Telling the truth depends on facts and reality.

Recently the University of Alberta launched a marketing campaign to increase awareness of the institutions broad base of research.  The tag line was truth matters.

Open Minds

The program defined truth as “…….the work of generations. Its pursuit is an arduous and necessary task that requires grit to stick to the evidence even when it seems elusive or challenges older ideas.”

I believe the underlying concept is to accentuate the fact  all research is of value whether we agree with it or not.  Consider the simple case of the shape of the earth.

If researchers had not been persistent in proving the earth to be round, in the face of great opposition and persecution, where would we be today?  (Possibly stuck in isolation lest we fall off the flat earth)

Consequences

Believing and promoting the truth as if it really matters, sadly, has consequences.  These can be greatly exaggerated reactions exacerbated by social media.

Last weekend we experienced an example of this when a top executive of the U of A resigned because a billboard advertisement  within the overall truth matters campaign was misconstrued.

Social media quickly picked up on the topic of the billboard, research that showed benefits of global warming, as supporting global warming. Of course this was ridiculous, the add was simply intended to expose and celebrate research, in and of itself.

For an institutions that promotes truth as something that matters this over reaction really makes it appear that those in charge really believe the opposite, that is truth is less important than perceptions, misconceptions and beliefs.

Sad and scary.