“The truth pales in comparison if it is not put into contact t with potential criticism”

“I believe that truths lose their luster if they are not put to the test of possible criticism. Generally speaking, even the most widely accepted convictions and truths we can imagine tend to lose their luster if they are not put on the line, if they do not have to re contact te their validity, and if they do not have to find new arguments to demonstrate their truth in a changing context.” This was emphasized by Diego Garrocho, a professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, during his presentation at the “ roundtable ” titled “Truth and Dialogue in the Public Sphere: How to Bridge the Divide.”

The philosopher was one of the guest speakers at “CREA. The Conscious Generation,” an event organized by the University with the goal to reflect on polarization and the common good through various sessions led by experts from diverse fields such as literature, music, politics, and philosophy, among others. The event also aimed to inspire attendees and equip them with the tools to launch new projects and initiatives. 

Garrocho, who spoke alongside the university’s Vice President of Communications, Mónica Herrero, and Teresa Sádaba, director of Institutional Relations, emphasized in his remarks the importance of dialogue and the need to be open to criticism even when one is convinced of an idea. “Daring to doubt everything is very uncomfortable,” he said; however, “those who do not dare to put themselves out there, to engage in dialogue with people who think differently, are probably not very sure of their own convictions and cannot defend them.” 

Finally, regarding the conception and implementation of new projects, he mentioned two main enemies: laziness and cowardice. And he spoke of the “value of trying.” “I don’t know anyone who has tried to write a novel and hasn’t written one; we fail far less often than we’re led to believe.”

Opening Your Eyes to Beauty

Later, a “ meeting ” took place between artist Javier Viver and the Aesthetics Full Professor at Ricardo Piñero University, who discussed beauty and transcendence. Both encouraged attendees to learn how to look and contemplate. “It seems to me that everything before us has flashes of light. They’re like glimpses of paradise. Everything is surprising and fascinating. Anything we see before us is awe-inspiring. But we aren’t always able to look at it or contemplate it,” said the sculptor.
For his part, Ricardo Piñero explained that “we have dissected and fragmented knowledge and the great things in life to such an extent that we think beauty belongs exclusively to the realm of art.” For the philosopher, our capacity to perceive beauty is enormous. “All we have to do is reclaim the virtue of knowing ourselves as human beings. And to do that, we must keep our hands open.” Giving it our all and taking risks is essential to this. “We’ve lost sight of the horizon; the core topic s lies in regaining a lofty perspective.” 

More aware

The “ quotation ” concluded with a presentation by Pablo Castrillo, a professor at the University’s “ School of Communication ,” who led the “ lecture ” titled “Being Mindful.” According to the professor, this mindfulness can be achieved through three attitudes. First, laying down one’s weapons and “giving up the snarky retort.” “Perhaps, if we are mature individuals and capable of overcoming our emotional impulses, we can temper that framework,” he noted.

On the other hand, we must give up shortcuts—there are no easy solutions. “Reality is imperfect, and our goal doesn’t have to be the whole truth, because that’s impossible. Instead, it has to be about wanting to live within it alongside others.” Finally, we must step out of the trenches. “Set foot in no man’s land—perhaps called that because it’s where no one knows what’s going to happen.” 

First edition of CREA

CREA brought together nearly 150 college students and professionals from various fields at the university’s Madrid campus ( campus ). “The university is, or should be, a place for the shared pursuit of truth. When we embark on that quest, we understand that we do not own it—that is, that others can contribute to it,” explained Teresa Sádaba, founder of workshop.
Specifically, the mission statement of the event was to encourage attendees to think, to converse, and also to launch cultural and social initiatives. To this end, other presentations were included, such as “Proposals to Defragment Public discussion (and Return to the Common Good),” moderated by journalist Ana Sánchez de la Nieta and featuring sociologist Salvador Cardús; the Full Professor by Philosophy of Law, Pablo de Lora; and Asunción de la Iglesia, a professor of Constitutional Law at the University. The event also addressed the project management cultural and social issues, with position by journalist Pedro Herrero and Professor Ricardo Calleja, as well as how to turn ideas into projects with real impact, led by Guillermo García del Barrio from the University of Navarra’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Innovation Factory).
The program featured a wide variety of parallel sessions covering topics ranging from the creation of musical projects, podcasts, and publishing initiatives to the use of social media and social leadership in institutions, with speakers such as Jorge Fernández (It’s Time to Think), Jaime Lorente (Mayo del 28), Ana María López de San Román (Ilunion), writer and publisher , Andreu Jaume, Adolfo Pahissa (anti.international), Víctor Luri and Gabriel Pout (El Panóptico), Javier Muñoz (Oxford Character Project), Marc Argemí, musician Ignacio Lacarra, and Álvaro Matud (Fundación Tatiana).