Striving for truth often leads to conflict with generally accepted norms and traditional values because it requires abandoning familiar illusions and subjective notions that uphold the established social order.

Truth Against Tradition: The Cost of Enlightenment

Striving for truth often leads to conflict with generally accepted norms and traditional values because it requires abandoning familiar illusions and subjective notions that uphold the established social order. Society generally relies on collective dogmas and accepted ideas that create stability and identity. However, the search for objective truth forces one to forsake these convenient, yet often mistaken, perceptions. As a result, one finds oneself at odds with traditional values, as true knowledge has the power to dismantle established ideas of good, evil, and other fundamental concepts.

This kind of opposition is reflected in one source, which states:

"The pursuit of truth is one of the fundamental properties of the human spirit. [...] The quest for truth often runs counter to our subjective inclinations and desires. We are all prone to creating illusions of self-elevating deceptions; we are reluctant to part with many delusions that we revere as truth. The 'will to illusion' is deeply ingrained in human nature. Some illusions can be more useful than truth." (source: link txt, page: 788)

A similar view is expressed by another source:

"The pursuit of truth is one of the fundamental properties of the human spirit. [...] The quest for truth often runs counter to our subjective inclinations and desires. We are all prone to creating illusions of self-elevating deceptions; we are reluctant to part with many delusions that we hold as truth. The will to illusion is deeply ingrained in human nature. It is not true that knowing the truth is always beneficial. Some illusions can be more useful than truth. From a pragmatic point of view, it is impossible to justify the absolute self-worth of truth." (source: link txt, page: 924)

Thus, when truth reveals new, possibly painful realities to an individual, it contradicts the comfortable social norms and traditions based on collective delusions and illusions. This leads to resistance from a society that prefers stability and predictability over the disruptive impact of objective knowledge.

Supporting citation(s):
"The pursuit of truth is one of the fundamental properties of the human spirit. [...] The quest for truth often runs counter to our subjective inclinations and desires. We are all prone to creating illusions of self-elevating deceptions; we are reluctant to part with many delusions that we revere as truth. The 'will to illusion' is deeply ingrained in human nature. Some illusions can be more useful than truth." (source: link txt, page: 788)

"The pursuit of truth is one of the fundamental properties of the human spirit. [...] The quest for truth often runs counter to our subjective inclinations and desires. We are all prone to creating illusions of self-elevating deceptions; we are reluctant to part with many delusions that we hold as truth. The will to illusion is deeply ingrained in human nature. It is not true that knowing the truth is always beneficial. Some illusions can be more useful than truth. From a pragmatic point of view, it is impossible to justify the absolute self-worth of truth." (source: link txt, page: 924)