Borrowing—somewhat provocatively—from John Lennon’s frustrated refrain “Gimme Some Truth”—I’m not making this political.
(Though I easily could.)

Instead, I want to talk about something quieter, more common, and arguably more influential in everyday life: bumper-sticker wisdom.

Here’s my definition:
Bumper-sticker wisdom is a partial truth, packaged as universal guidance.

It works because it’s short.
It’s memorable.
And it’s often true.

“Practice makes perfect.”
“Success is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration.”
“Trust your gut.”
“Less is more.”

Sidenote: These wisdoms can run deep. I heard the “90% perspiration” bumper-sticker from my late father throughout my life—offered with care, intention, and love.

Each of these sayings:

  • carries a real insight

  • helps us decide quickly

  • simplifies complexity

  • offers guidance when time, attention, or emotional bandwidth is limited

And that’s exactly why they stick.

The problem isn’t what bumper-sticker wisdom says.
The problem is what it leaves out.

These sayings work beautifully—
for a while.

Then they don’t.

None of these sayings are wrong.
They’re just incomplete.

What bumper-sticker wisdom almost never includes is the over-time dimension of life, or the reality that many truths exist in interdependent pairs. When one truth is over-applied to the neglect of its counterpart, steadiness erodes—and predictable trouble follows.

“Never give up” turns into exhaustion.
“Trust your gut” turns into impulsivity.
“Less is more” turns into neglect.
“Practice makes perfect” turns into rigidity.

When I encounter bumper-sticker sloganeering—or feel tempted to whip one out myself—I try to pause. I do try.

To listen.
Be curious.
Slow things down just enough.
Act in ways that support steadier judgment.

I don’t always succeed—even when I try really hard.

And.

Something important happens when we can see bumper-sticker slogans as partial stand-alone truths, and start placing them in relationship with their counterparts. Consider the counter-slogans:

“Never give up.” And “Quit while you’re ahead.”
“Say what you mean.” And “Silence speaks volumes.”
“No pain, no gain.” And “Work smarter, not harder.”

Now we’re no longer dealing with slogans.

We’re dealing with wisdom that supports steadiness—because it holds the interdependent tension rather than forcing it into a single answer.

Most of us already sense this intuitively. What explicit awareness of interdependent truths does is make that intuition usable—especially when stakes are high, emotions are involved, and simple answers feel tempting.

This is the difference between sloganeering and discernment.
Between reacting and getting steadied.

When a partial truth is treated as the whole truth, the very guidance that once helped us begins to create unintended consequences. Over time, effort turns brittle, conviction turns dogmatic, and simplicity turns into oversimplification.

That’s when people start feeling frustrated.
Or polarized.
Or quietly unsteady.

We humans love:

  • being smart

  • getting right answers

  • simplifying complexity

There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of that.

The trouble starts when Either/Or thinking is applied to situations that actually require Both/And leverage. That misapplication doesn’t just reduce effectiveness—it reliably undermines judgment and trust.

And when power is used to elevate some partial truths while suppressing others? That’s when unsteadiness spreads—from individuals to teams, organizations, and communities.

Held lightly, bumper-sticker wisdom becomes useful again—not as doctrine, but as context-dependent guidance. The goal isn’t to discard these sayings, but to notice when one truth has done its job—and when another truth is asking to be brought back into the conversation.

We can respond by:

  • speaking about it

  • writing about it

  • teaching about it

  • leading in ways that resist false certainty

My wish is that we—humans who pride ourselves on being smart—would stop arguing over which bumper-sticker is “right,” and start paying attention to the relationship between interdependent truths that supports steadier judgment over time.

So yes.

Just give me some truth.

Not the partial and unsustainable kind.
The kind that helps us get steadied.
The kind that holds possibility for healthy, sustainable, and just communities.

Maybe it’s time for a reminder—not a slogan to adopt, but a cue for how wisdom actually works:

MWGA
Make Wisdom Great Always.

*See: The True Gentleman, Cliff’sNOTE.