A Clear Breakdown

You’ve heard it everywhere: “That’s my truth.”It sounds humble and respectful, but it quietly does a lot of heavy lifting. Here’s a straightforward breakdown.

1. What “My Truth” Actually Means

“My truth” is often just a stronger way of saying “In my experience.”

A person’s experience is real and subjective — it genuinely happened to them. But “my truth” goes further: it treats that personal experience and its interpretation as a form of truth that others are expected to affirm and not challenge.

Example:

“My truth is that all men are dangerous.” 

This isn’t just sharing a feeling. It claims moral weight and often treats disagreement as invalidation. 

It flows from relativism: truth is different for every person.

2. What an Opinion Actually Is

An opinion is humbler. It’s simply what you think or believe. It doesn’t demand agreement or protection.

Examples:

“In my opinion, pineapple belongs on pizza.”

“I think Jordan Peterson is overrated.”

Opinions can be challenged, discussed, or even proven wrong without it becoming personal.

3. Universal Truth

Universal truth describes objective reality — especially human nature and how human beings actually thrive. It stands beyond any one person’s experience and points to what works best in the long run for everyone.

Example:

“Marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman” (if you hold that as objectively true), or 

“Regular prayer, fasting, and generosity form mature, integrated people.”

These truths are discovered, not invented. They reflect how reality and human flourishing actually work, regardless of individual feelings.How They Play Out in Real Life

• “My truth” often shuts down conversation: “That’s your truth, this is mine.”
• “My opinion” keeps the door open: “That’s my view — what do you think?”
• Universal truth invites alignment with reality: “This is how humans are designed to flourish.”

Why This Matters

In conversations about faith, morality, philosophy, and the Hero’s Journey, we assume there is a discoverable universal truth grounded in reality, reason, and Scripture. “My truth” language quietly undermines that by turning subjective experience into protected, unchallengeable truth.

A Simple Test

Next time someone says “my truth,” ask:

• Are they describing a real experience? (That deserves to be heard.)
• Are they claiming their interpretation of that experience is truth itself? (That’s where it slips into relativism.)

Universal truth stands steady, outside of us. It describes human nature and the path to genuine flourishing — inviting everyone, quietly and equally, to align with it.