Is the truth always painful?

Not always. But often there is pain when realizing certain truths. The pain doesn't come from the truth, though. It comes from the shattering of illusions in our minds.

The pain we experience at the moment our illusions are shattered may be felt for a short time. Or the hurt may linger until the emotions we've invested in the illusion lessen. During these times, we feel deeply affected. We feel unsettled and uncomfortable.

Without illusions, the truth doesn't evoke pain in us. So again, the truth isn’t the source of our discomfort. It is a false belief, the illusion, that is reacting to the truth.

Think about the emotions you feel when you discover that someone you cared for is not who you thought they were. The image of them in your mind shatters into a thousand pieces, and.the emotions attached to that image flood your mind.

Pain can also come from judging and criticizing ourselves as a reaction to our realization. When we realize we've believed in something that isn't true, our inner critic emerges to admonish us for being stupid or making a big mistake.

Listening to our inner critic is painful. It's a rejection of self. Imagine an inner dialogue like this: ‘How could I be so stupid to believe he/she was sincere.’ What is painful isn't the realization that we believed a lie. It's the reaction to this realization that causes the pain.

The way to deal with this is through awareness. Awareness of the truth helps us break free of illusions that cause pain. Greater awareness helps us to avoid pain and leads to greater happiness as it opens our eyes to the truth and results in fewer illusions to react to.