32nd Great American Think-Off Announcing Honorable Mentions Read Essays Below
In 2025, the Great American Think-Off Committee awarded eight honorable mentions, four on each side of the 2025 question, "Is there only one truth, or are there many truths?" Two of the Honorable Mentions went to alternates who argued on the side of ONE TRUTH: Laurie Fitz (Independence, MN) and Ron Stewart (Coon Rapids, MN). Joining them on the ONE TRUTH side were Katherine Tencza (Edison, NJ) and Angela Loupe (Murfreesboro, TN).
The 2025 Honorable Mention Winners on the side of MANY TRUTHS were Miriam Santos of Rundu Ndama, Namibia, and Sherry Vavra of Mountain Home, AR. Additional Honorable Mentions for the MANY TRUTHS side went to alternates Blaine Rada (Darien, IL) and Marcia Witt (Ijamsville, MD).
Read the 2025 Honorable Mention Essays Below!
You can also learn more about the 2025 Great American Think-Off debate by clicking these links:
2025 Think-Off Debate Results 2025 Think-Off Finalist Essays Watch the 2025 Think-Off Debate on YouTubeLaurie Fitz, Development for Nonprofits, Independence, MN
There is only ONE truth.
A few years back I interviewed David Lapako on my radio show. I attended the debate and loved it. [radio-status] There is only one truth. My father puzzled through the curiosities of the universe with the keen focus of a truth tracker. Dr. C.D. Fitz, a physicist, reveling in the philosophy of science. For him, truth was grounded in “agreement”. “For measurement we agree on the standard, in math we all agree to use the power of ten, laws are made by agreement, we make agreements to get along in a community.” “We have agreements and agreements can change as we learn new things. What we think is true can change. Truth can change.“ “Lolly girl, there is no absolute truth . . . .or if there is, we have not discovered it. And that becomes our quest, to find that unifying thread that explains everything.” He loved to share his philosophies with me on our special walks. God was the ultimate truth for my mother. Raised Baptist, with a fierce faith that expressed itself in good works. While pregnant with me in 1958, she was recruited by Billy Graham Ministries to go to Alabama to walk Black children to school. On her first walk, holding a little girl’s hand – an older white man came up behind her. “We don’t need Yankees coming down here” Mom kept walking, holding on tighter to the girl’s hand. “Seems you don’t listen too well. Let me make this clear – I will take a dull knife and rip that baby right out of your womb. Do you hear me now?.” My mother, being mostly Scot-Irish with a full helping of a temper – turned around and looked him in the eyes asking “What kind of a coward threatens a pregnant woman holding the hand of a child? What are you so afraid of?” She left him speechless and walked on. And the child lovingly arrived safely at school. Whenever my mother told this story she would quote a bible verse . . . “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love and sound judgment.” Followed by “God is the Way, the Truth and the life.” Clearly, my parents were not exactly on the same page when it came to their thoughts on truth. My Dad explained Einstein’s unifying thread, the theory of relativity, using a basketball and an ant. He traced his finger across the ball showing the unbounded opportunities the ant had to move, but reminded me that the ball itself was finite. “You see, we are finite yet unbounded,” he declared with enthusiasm. I didn’t – but I wanted to . . . My first true/false test was in 3rd grade at Hamilton Elementary . . . I stared at the page and could not answer what was “true”. I put my pencil down and refused to do the test. The teacher assumed I was being a smart alec. I wasn’t. Sent to the principal’s office, my Dad came for me. We went for ice cream and had a long talk about getting along for the sake of getting along and how I could consider “mostly true” or “generally true” for ways to answer true / false tests. I have done my best over the years make sense of “truth”. Is there a God that is the Truth? Is there a unifying theory that allows the Truth of the universe to be revealed? Is there one truth or are there many truths? Recently I read a letter that Einstein wrote to his daughter that helped me answer that for myself. Einstein wrote, “There is an extremely powerful force that, so far, science has not found a formal explanation to. It is a force that includes and governs all others, and is even behind any phenomenon operating in the universe and has not yet been identified by us. This universal force is LOVE. When scientists looked for a unified theory of the universe they forgot the most powerful unseen force. Love is Light, that enlightens those who give and receive it. Love is gravity, because it makes some people feel attracted to others. Love is power, because it multiplies the best we have, and allows humanity not to be extinguished in their blind selfishness. Love unfolds and reveals. For love we live and die. Love is God and God is Love.” And so, Einstein gave me my truth. The God of Love of my mother and the unifying thread of truth my father sought were intertwined. There is one truth, and that truth is love.Ron Stewart, Cybersecurity, Coon Rapids, MN
There is only ONE truth.
I’m not a fan of icebreakers. I’d rather just start the meeting, mostly so we can end it. There is, however, one exception to my “no icebreakers please” preference: Two Truths & a Lie. The rules are simple. Each person makes two claims about themself which are true, and one which is false. Everyone else tries to guess which claim is which. Let’s play. My claims: I chase storms. I’m an actor. I love roller coasters. Which are true? Which is not? More importantly, why am I, someone touting a game whose very title implies multiple truths, going to argue that there is only one “truth”? I’ll answer that last question by giving you some insights from my truths & my lie. Storm chasing is fun. Storms are fascinating, yet complex meteorological phenomena. The complexity means there are many true things about them. We measure temperatures, dew points, wind speeds, and myriad other things. The one “truth” of the storm is fully described through multiple, measurable attributes. Each of these attributes are true when they accurately represent what is going on with the storm. For instance, a true windspeed report is one that would match an accurate measurement at a given time & place within the storm. The truth of my wind assessment is judged by whether it matches reality. I can believe all I want that the hail is pea-sized, but if the ice falling on my car averages four inches across, then my belief cannot be true – which my insurance adjuster & my wife would later make very clear. Theatre introduces another perspective on truth: how we experience life. When I am on stage playing a role I do my best to be that character. If I do well, at some point, someone in the audience may start to see the character instead of me. It may feel true to them that I am the character. My lack of Tonys & Oscars imply this doesn’t happen often. Yet I think we all have been in situations wherein we start believing what we experience as if it’s real. This is the sense, for example, on which magic acts depend. No matter how well I do in embodying the role, however, or how deeply an audience member may connect with it, the truth is I am still just an actor, saying someone else’s words, directed toward someone else’s vision. Regardless of how real a performance feels to an audience member, it doesn’t alter the truth – I tread the boards, and they are watching a play. While it may be true that we experience an illusion, that does not mean the illusion itself is true. Truth exists independently of how we experience it, and our perceptions are only true insofar as they match reality. A third aspect of truth is seen in my affinity for roller coasters. When talking about one truth vs. many truths, a common proposition is that we each have our own truths: things we believe but others don’t. We might see each as equally valid even if they contradict each other. Is it my truth that roller coasters are amazing, and yours that they are not? Not at all, for a couple of reasons. First, it may be true that I love roller coasters, but that’s not just my truth. It’s your truth as well. We all live in the world in which I love roller coasters. Second, the truth can’t contradict itself. This is true of other questions which go beyond the subjective opinion of whether amusement rides are awesome, or whether Finland is better than Greece. Take the big questions of philosophy or science. Does God exist? Is evolution true? Those who get it wrong on these questions don’t have one of “many” truths; they hold false beliefs. The truth can’t contradict itself. God can’t both exist & not exist. I can’t both love & not love roller coasters simultaneously. Reality is complicated, as are our interactions with it & each other. Truth claims abound as we try to understand our world. The standard for validating those claims has to be reality, though, or life soon becomes incoherent. Tossing everything into the ‘truth’ bucket condemns some of us to believe lies. It's not worth it. I propose we instead seek the truth and work to understand where others see things differently. Then we all come closer to holding what is true. I’ll take the first step. Don’t believe I love roller coasters.Angela Loupe, Nanny/House Teacher, Murfreesboro, TN
There is only ONE truth.
Woven into the very fabric of our vernacular, the idea of truth being singular is obvious. One tells a lie but tells the truth. Many years ago, I ventured to challenge the idea of the singularity of truth. The results were astonishing. I was in college at the time. One could argue that college would be an ideal backdrop for this type of investigation. Armed with only the theoretical ideas that a few psychology courses had offered me along with an intermittent Catholic upbringing, I began my research. I delved into every religion and doctrine that was available to me. In addition to the college library at my university, I also had access to a broader spectrum of ideas, as the internet was becoming a widely accepted tool at that time. At first, what I discovered was a lot of directives toward behavior modifications that entailed exercising self-control and discipline; rewards-based systems. While many of those ideas and doctrines were very strict and unmanageable to me, a moderately undisciplined American college student, I did find interest in some of them. I would have to say that my favorite one was the teachings of Buddha. While I found Buddhism difficult to understand and practice, I also found solace in the prospects of peace it promised to deliver. Unfortunately, the promised peace was never supplied. After many years of practice, and having had actually attained Zen, I did not find that the teachings aided me in healing from the past traumas I had endured. I felt like truth should be all-encompassing if it is to be singular, meaning that I should find remedy to the plagues of life within it. Having found no such cure, I continued on my journey. I persisted. Having found the common thread of prayer and meditation in all the doctrines that I had previously studied, I began to pray, but without addressing any “god.” Instead, I began to pray to “truth.” I felt like if there was a truth, and especially if truth was singular, and prayer could access it, then surely this would be an appropriate name to call upon. Not long after this decision, I had been sitting in my condominium living room one afternoon when I had felt a nudge in the pit of my stomach. I did not really think much of it at the time to be honest. However, I found myself walking over to my bookshelf and grabbing an old copy of a Good News Bible that I had grown up with in my Catholic studies. I opened the Book immediately to the Book of Luke, chapter 18. I read the parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow. I had read the story before and I recalled it as I read, but this time reading through, something happened. The story was quickened to me. It came alive. As I read the story, my understanding was opened and I became cognizant of its meaning. Even if I am not pretty enough, smart enough, or good enough, I can be persistent enough, and I can be heard and answered. Game on. While I may not be many things, one thing that no one can say I’m not is persistent. So, armed with this knowledge, I began praying nightly. I was importunate to the point of annoyance. I wore out the doormat. I was relentless. I remained steady and firm. After all, if there was a singularity of truth to be known, it would be the most significant discovery of my life. I felt like a scientist with an idea that could quantify meaningful results after years of failure. A couple of months later, I was taken off guard on one particular day. You see, the entire time I had been praying and seeking truth, I had begun to feel better. My ghosts had lost power over me and my traumas seemed to have taken a back burner emotionally, so I assumed that I had truly discovered some sort of key or back door that bypassed medications and therapy. However, I was not prepared at all for what happened next. There is a promise found in John 14:21 that states the truth will manifest Himself to the seeker who obeys His commands. Little did I know that that was exactly what I was doing. I was seeking the truth by obeying a command outlined in the scripture. That day, I had my first supernatural encounter with the Singular Truth, and truth is singular.Katherine Tencza, Tutor, Edison, NJ
There is only ONE truth.
When I was in eighth grade, my science teacher conducted an unusual experiment. He directed us to arrange our desks in a circle, and on a table in its center he placed a large foam board-game die. He instructed us to note, without moving, how many dots and faces of the die we saw. The results? We all came up with different answers, depending on where we were sitting. Yet we were all still observing the same single object. He explained that this is why science requires collaboration: different people can see different parts of the picture, and they need to pool their knowledge to put the pieces together. Though my science teacher unfortunately passed away at a young age, I have never forgotten this demonstration. It has led me to conclusions beyond science as well: that there is only one truth, yet different people's talents, backgrounds, and worldviews lead them to perceive different facets of it. As a high school English teacher, I loved discussing literary works with the class. To me, this epitomized how the truth in one work could generate so many different insights. Students’ unique personalities, skills, and life experience all contributed to their unique responses. One of my favorite moments was when a student pointed out something in Shakespeare's sonnet, “When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,” that I had never noticed before. He saw that two fate-related words appear in the poem, one in its earlier half and one in the later half. First, the speaker “curse[s] [his] fate,” which reflects the pessimism of the opening lines as the speaker reflects on everything that he lacks. Then, when the volta arrives to create a shift, the speaker states, “haply I think on thee,” and becomes joyful. The student read that “haply” meant a happy accident of fate. Thus, the speaker journeys from seeing fate as cruel to realizing how lucky he is when he thinks of one who loves him. And the amazing thing about this transformation is that none of the speaker’s adverse circumstances have changed: only his focus. Both my thoughts on the sonnet and the student’s drew on details from the text; he had just noticed a facet of it that I had not. Yet despite the multiplicity of interpretations that texts may inspire, I always caution my students that interpretations must be based on the text. For instance, claiming that Gatsby of The Great Gatsby is from outer space is not a valid stance. There is simply no evidence to support it. In the same way, while there can be many perspectives on truth, something wholly fabricated does not count as one of those. For example, if someone writes a work of nonfiction, but fills it with made-up events, calling it “my truth” will not suffice to justify this deception. Just as scientific conclusions have to be based on empirical data, truth is grounded in reality. Efforts to deem something “my truth” mistake each person’s unique perspective on truth for each person’s alternate universe. If we are to live by the logic of this shared universe, our truth-claims must adhere to reality. One of my favorite topics to teach is the Hero's Journey. The term comes from Joseph Campbell, a scholar who studied ancient cultures. After poring over thousands of myths, Campbell identified a “Monomyth,” a structure underlying them all. As simplified by writer Christopher Vogler, the Hero's Journey involves a character in an ordinary world who receives a call to adventure, crosses the threshold into an extraordinary world, meets a mentor, navigates tests, enemies, and allies, and faces and overcomes a Supreme Ordeal. The premise behind Campbell’s book The Hero with a Thousand Faces is the same as that of Truth: the hero may hail from countless climes and cultures, yet at its heart, the hero-story is in essence one. The singular nature of truth is a corollary of a singular reality. All observable details, whether a glass of water or a literary text, serve as the basis of this. One can derive different interpretations from a text as long as those have evidence to support them, drawn from the same singular reality. And Campbell's finding that the abundant variety of myths from around the world share one structure speaks to a common truth of the human experience.Miriam Santos, Teacher, Rundu Ndama, Namibia
There are MANY truths.
Truth is often seen as a singular, absolute concept. However, based on my experiences, I believe there are not one, but many truths. These truths are shaped by individual perspectives and personal experiences, and the reality is more complex than a single universal truth. Growing up, I was taught that truth was objective. My parents, both educators, instilled in me the idea that facts—science, history, and morality—were absolute. I followed this belief without question, but as I matured, I began to see how personal experiences shape our perception of truth. A pivotal moment came during my first trip abroad, where I volunteered in a rural community. There, I observed that acts of kindness were quieter and unspoken, contrasting with my own culture’s more overt expressions of kindness. Initially, I thought my way was the only “right” one. But this experience taught me that truth, even in something as simple as kindness, is subjective. What is kind to one person may not be to another. My understanding of truth deepened further when I looked at my relationship with my sibling. Though we grew up in the same house, our interpretations of family loyalty were starkly different. To me, loyalty meant open communication and support, while to my sibling, it meant silent resilience and sacrifice. Both perspectives were shaped by our experiences, and both were valid. Over time, I learned that there is no single way to define family or loyalty. These truths are shaped by shared experiences, conflicts, and values. I once believed that success was defined by career achievements and financial stability. I worked hard, climbed the corporate ladder, and thought I had found my truth. However, as I reached my goals, I realized that success didn’t bring the fulfillment I had expected. My perspective shifted as I met people who found joy in different ways—through art, relationships, or a quieter life. My truth about success was no longer universal; it was just one truth among many. This shift in my understanding became clearer when I reflected on my own painful experiences. As a child, I was taught that loyalty and love were absolute truths, but my own trauma complicated these ideals. I had been a victim of abuse, and my understanding of family and loyalty was forever altered by those events. Others, who hadn’t shared my experiences, saw loyalty through a different lens, and their truths didn’t always align with mine. I began to understand that truth is shaped by personal history and often conflicts with others’ truths, without either one being invalid. Truth also changes as society evolves. I once believed that mental toughness and self-reliance were the keys to overcoming hardship. But after struggling with my mental health, I learned that there are many ways to face suffering. Truth is not static; it evolves based on our experiences and the world around us. In relationships, two people can witness the same event and interpret it completely differently. For example, my sister and I had different recollections of a difficult childhood experience. She viewed it as a lesson in resilience, while I saw it as a source of ongoing trauma. Both of our perspectives were shaped by our unique realities, and neither was more valid than the other. There are objective truths—facts that remain constant, like the sun rising in the east or the earth being round. But when it comes to our personal lives, truth is shaped by our experiences, cultures, and struggles. No single truth can capture the complexity of human existence. Instead, truths coexist, each shaped by the unique experiences of those who hold them. In conclusion, I believe there are many truths, not just one. These truths are subjective, ever-evolving, and shaped by our individual experiences. While some objective truths remain constant, the truths we live by are fluid, reflecting the complexity of human existence. The beauty of truth lies in its diversity, its ability to reflect the unique experiences of each person.Sherry Vavra, Executive Director, Mountain Home, AR
There are MANY truths.
High School Debate Is there only one truth, or many truths? That question was posed to the senior class of 1983. The teacher, an interesting fellow with a comb over and glasses, quite often challenged his students to think. The debate began between me and Mike Handley, the most popular senior in school and whom everyone had a crush on, including me. Mike took the stand of one truth. I saw many truths, in almost every situation. Mike went first:- “Sports, there is only one winner, so a specific team won. The truth could only be that winner. We beat the Mustangs! One Truth!” the class broke out in loud cheers and applause. (No matter how elementary he made his argument, his popularity weighed in.) And that was definitely a point for Mike.
- His final point was colors, of all things. “There is only one true color for each color. For example, red is red. There may be many shades of red, but it’s still red, and every person would recognize it as red or some shade of red.” The simplest, most superficial, view I thought. Mike was very good looking.
- “We kicked butt against the mustangs Friday night, like Mike said, right?” More cheers and hoots from the class. “Of course, we are the best!” was shouted from the floor. To which I was able to respond, “that is a perfect example of perspective. We all agree that the one truth is, we won, but some Mustang cheerleaders were talking after the game, and their truth is we lost. They perceived a bad call from the referee which gave us the winning score, so they didn’t see that as a win for us.” Ricky, another uber popular football player, yelled out “good call, we won, that’s the one truth!” To which, everyone laughed and cheered. Minus one for me.
- I moved on, “Ok, colors are colors, in the simplest form so I won’t argue that point.” “Okay you lose!” yelled Ricky, once more to everyone’s laughter.
- “But,” I started again, damn, he really is killing me here. “But, perspectives matter to truth. That’s what makes the truth fickle and makes my point. My final example: can we all agree that Mike is good looking?” lots of hoots and ‘hell yeah’s’ to that. “Ok, let me state that I do not think Mike is good looking,” the room went dead silent. I quickly moved forward, “I think he’s the most gorgeous of all men in the universe!” a few uneasy chuckles from the girls. Roars and howls from the guys. I turned red in the face. Mike chuckled then, which eased the vibe. I continued, “A fact that I believe as truth but let’s ask you Ricky, is Mike the most gorgeous of all men in the universe?” Ricky answered fast, “of course not, I am!” Laughter again. “What about Stacie? Is she the most gorgeous of all women in the universe?” to which Ricky looked at his girlfriend, who shot him a piercing look, and answered “Yes.” Again, laughter and a big smile from Stacie, he gained his own points there, even I fit did draw laughter at him. “I won’t ask if everyone agrees with you but some people have other girlfriends so I can say their truth would not be the same. That is my point, many truths based on many perspectives. The proof is in multiple viewpoints.
