Maq Masi Blog

Subtitle: Exploring the Fluid Nature of Truth in a World of Many Perspectives

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By Maq Masi

What is reality?

The question echoes across cultures, centuries, and consciousness. At first glance, reality appears solid, universal—something we can all touch and agree upon. Yet scratch the surface, and it begins to dissolve. In Siberia, a man shivers in sub-zero temperatures. At that same moment, under tAfrican sun, another wipes sweat from his brow. Both exist in the same world, the same moment—yet their experiences of reality are fundamentally different.

Reality Through the Lens of Space-Time

Albert Einstein revolutionised our understanding with the concept of space-time: the idea that time and space are woven together, inseparable. The cold man and the hot man are both reacting to their local realities, shaped by their physical coordinates. From this perspective, reality is relative—moulded by where and when you are.

But let’s go deeper.

Imagine two people standing side by side under the same sun. One wears sunglasses, the other doesn’t. Their perception of the light, the colour of the world, even their comfort, diverges. Here, space and time are constant—but reality still splits. The divergence comes not from the universe, but from the tools they use to interpret it.

Is Reality Belief?

Now consider something even more volatile: human belief.

For Donald Trump, the idea of a “white genocide” sparks fear and political narrative. For South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, that same situation is a matter of criminal acts, not genocide. In Gaza, humanitarian bodies like the UN and WHO speak of starvation as genocide. But Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu dismisses the label entirely. Each one holds to a version of “reality” grounded in ideology, identity, and allegiance.

Even religion—the most powerful interpreter of reality—is deeply shaped by space and time. If the Mughal Empire had never entered India, vast regions may never have embraced Islam. Similarly, regions untouched by Muslim or Christian empires—such as Japan, or parts of Latin America before colonisation—remained rooted in indigenous beliefs. Here, the ‘truth’ of religion is not eternal or universal, but spatial and historical. Belief often travels along the same routes as conquest, trade, and empire.

The Illusion of Objectivity

One might hope that science or law can deliver a neutral, universal reality. But even these realms are shaped by interpretation. Laws are written by humans, for humans, within specific cultures and times. Scientific facts, while more grounded, still depend on human measurement and consensus. What’s considered “true” today may be disproved tomorrow.

Every person’s belief is shaped by the locality they grew up in—the family that raised them, the stories they were told, the language they use. In this sense, space and time don’t just shape physical conditions. They shape our very lens of perception. Space and time become our religion, our god, our prism through which we view everything.

Does True Reality Exist?

Perhaps there is an ultimate reality—but it may lie beyond human grasp, like light beyond the visible spectrum. Each of us carries a shard of the mirror, never the whole. What we call reality is often just consensus—agreed-upon hallucinations of a community, a nation, a civilisation.

So, is reality a myth?

In some ways, yes. But myth doesn’t mean falsehood. It means a story powerful enough to guide lives. Your myth, your reality, is yours—and it is real because it governs how you feel, decide, and act.

Conclusion: The Humility of Perception

We live in a world of many truths, many climates, many gods. The wise don’t claim ownership of reality. They listen, compare, and adjust their lenses. They recognise that reality is not fixed but experienced—filtered through layers of time, space, memory, and belief.

Reality, then, is not a destination. It’s a dialogue.

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