When Did Truth Become Personal?
There was a time—not long ago—when the word “truth” had only one article before it: the. Truth was singular, solid, and shared. It was something outside ourselves, something we sought to discover, verify, and obey. But today, we hear a different phrase echoing through culture and conversation: “my truth.” No longer the objective, verifiable truth of old, truth has become personalized—tailored to fit one’s feelings, lived experience, or emotional memory.
How did this happen? When did truth become personal? The answer traces a winding path through modern philosophy, social upheaval, and the disintegration of shared moral frameworks. And the implications for the Church are nothing short of profound.
From Objective Reality to Subjective Experience
Western civilization once rested on a foundation of correspondence truth—that is, truth corresponds to reality. A statement is true if it reflects what is. This understanding goes back to Plato and Aristotle, was reinforced by the Christian scholastics, and found high expression in the Enlightenment, when thinkers sought to uncover universal truths through reason and evidence.
But in the 20th century, a philosophical shift began to take place. Thinkers associated with postmodernism—notably Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, and Jean-François Lyotard—challenged the very idea of a knowable, objective truth. Foucault emphasized that “truth” is often what those in power declare it to be. Derrida cast doubt on the stability of language itself. Lyotard famously defined postmodernism as “incredulity toward metanarratives.” In other words, skepticism toward any grand, overarching explanation of reality—whether religious, scientific, or historical.
In this intellectual climate, truth became fragmented. What mattered was no longer what was true for all, but what was true for you.
Lived Experience Becomes Authority
At the same time, cultural movements emphasizing identity and lived experience were gaining traction. Feminist, racial, and queer theorists in the 1980s and 1990s argued that dominant social structures had silenced marginalized voices. In response, the personal narrative—the testimonial of one’s experience—was elevated as a form of truth-telling.
This had some merit. Certainly, history contains many examples of voices that were unfairly excluded. But what began as an effort to include neglected perspectives soon morphed into something else: a view that experience is the highest form of truth.
And so we began to hear the phrase, “I’m speaking my truth.”
The Oprahfication of Truth
The term gained further popularity through figures like Oprah Winfrey, who helped usher it into mainstream conversation. On her talk show, guests were routinely invited to share their trauma, transformation, or identity journeys—all under the banner of “speaking their truth.”
To “speak your truth” became synonymous with emotional authenticity. It meant being open, vulnerable, and courageous. But it also quietly redefined the very nature of truth: it was no longer about correspondence to reality; it was about personal sincerity. Truth was not something one submitted to—it was something one declared.
Social Media and the Collapse of Consensus
The rise of social media in the 2000s completed the revolution. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram democratized communication—everyone could now be a public voice. But they also created silos. People began to curate their own informational and ideological bubbles. Within these bubbles, my truth often went unchallenged, and the truth became whatever the group consensus declared it to be.
In this environment, truth ceased to be a pursuit. It became a possession.
Why This Matters for Christians
The Christian faith rests not on shifting subjectivities but on revealed, enduring truth. Jesus did not say, “I am a truth” or “your truth.” He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). Christianity does not merely offer an experience—it offers an account of reality. It declares who God is, what man is, what sin is, and what salvation requires.
When truth becomes personal in the modern sense, sin is redefined as “inauthenticity,” and repentance is replaced with “self-expression.” The Gospel, which calls us to die to ourselves, is recast as a therapeutic narrative that affirms the self. The Church becomes not the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15), but a community of private spiritual journeys.
This is not merely a shift in language. It is a shift in worldview. And it is a dangerous one.
Reclaiming The Truth
If the Church is to be salt and light in this confused generation, we must courageously reclaim and re-proclaim the truth. That will mean:
Teaching that truth is rooted in God’s nature, not in personal feeling.
Preaching the objective claims of Scripture without apology.
Living as though God’s truth really governs our lives—our speech, our ethics, our loves.
It will also mean calling people not just to their truth, but to the Truth—to the One who speaks not only to their experience, but to their eternal soul.
In an age of self-curated reality, truth may be personal—but that does not make it true. Only the truth that comes from God—objective, revealed, and unwavering—can save.