Most of the change we think we see in life is due to truths being

Host: The evening light had softened, casting a warm glow across the café. The world outside, blurred by the rain, seemed to slow down as the city settled into its nighttime rhythm. Inside, Jack and Jeeny sat at their usual table, the soft murmur of nearby conversations blending with the steady rhythm of their words. Jack, always the skeptic, seemed lost in thought as he sipped his coffee, while Jeeny, calm as ever, seemed ready to challenge his perspective.

Jeeny: “I came across a quote by Robert Frost today: ‘Most of the change we think we see in life is due to truths being in and out of favor.’ What do you think about that?”

Jack: He raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Frost always had a way of speaking in riddles, didn’t he? But I get what he’s saying. We see change, but maybe what’s really happening is that things we believe to be true are just shifting in and out of fashion. It’s not real progress—it’s just what’s popular at the moment.”

Host: The soft hum of the café seemed to settle around them, the weight of their conversation thickening as Jeeny’s voice, steady but thoughtful, cut through the silence.

Jeeny: “I think Frost is pointing to something deeper. We often think of change as something new—but what if it’s not? What if the ‘change’ we see is just a reflection of old truths being revisited, reinterpreted, or just becoming relevant again? It’s not always about progress; sometimes, it’s about going back to what was once believed, then leaving it behind for something else. We see it as change, but really, it’s just a shift in what’s in favor.”

Jack: “So, you’re saying that truths are cyclical? That they come and go, not because we learn something new, but because we keep redefining what’s important at the time?”

Jeeny: “Exactly. Truths don’t necessarily evolve in a straight line. Instead, we revisit them, often because the conditions of the world change, or because we’ve reached a place where those truths make sense again. We call it progress or change, but it’s really just a shift in how we perceive those truths. It’s like the fashion of ideas—what we value or believe in goes in and out of favor.”

Host: The café, once filled with the steady murmur of background noise, now felt quieter, as if Jack and Jeeny’s conversation had drawn the attention of everything around them. The rain outside was now a soft whisper, like the calm after a storm, and inside, Jack seemed to reflect on the depth of what Jeeny was saying.

Jack: “So, instead of thinking of change as always being forward, we should think of it as a constant reassessment of what we consider true? Things aren’t changing—they’re just coming back into focus based on where we are in time?”

Jeeny: “Yes. We might think we’re moving forward, but sometimes, we’re just circling back to something we’ve forgotten or misunderstood before. It’s not that we don’t grow—it’s that growth isn’t always about new ideas. Sometimes, it’s about rediscovering something from the past and finding new meaning in it. Change, then, is less about the discovery of new truths and more about how we see the old ones.”

Jack: “That’s a hard one to swallow. It almost makes it feel like we’re just recycling the same ideas over and over. Like we’re not really evolving; we’re just going in cycles.”

Jeeny: “It’s a bit uncomfortable, right? But think about it—what we consider progress often depends on what we value in the moment. If we keep shifting those values, what we think of as truth will shift too. The cycle doesn’t mean stagnation; it means we’re constantly questioning and reinterpreting what we know. Maybe the evolution isn’t in what we learn—it’s in how we come to understand what’s always been around us.”

Host: The conversation had reached a point of quiet reflection, where both Jack and Jeeny seemed to grasp the subtle complexity of Frost’s words. The rain outside had faded, leaving behind the soft glow of streetlights reflecting off the wet pavement. Inside, the stillness of the café matched the weight of their exchange.

Jack: “Maybe that’s the real point of progress, then. It’s not about new truths coming in, but about how we keep reinterpreting the old ones. Change isn’t always a leap forward; sometimes, it’s a return to what’s always been.”

Jeeny: “Exactly. Truths come and go based on what we need them to be at a given time. That’s the fluidity of life, of ideas. We don’t always move forward—we just move in new directions, with old truths finding new meanings along the way.”

Host: The conversation had settled into a quiet understanding, the kind of realization that only comes when two people see the world through a shared lens. The café felt like a quiet haven, where time had slowed just enough for Jack and Jeeny to understand that change, in its truest form, might not be about new discoveries, but about reexamining what’s always been there. The truth, as Frost had suggested, wasn’t always about progress—it was about revisiting, reassessing, and understanding the patterns that shape the world around us.