Why it’s important to speak the truth?
Truth is the only freedom the people have in modern times and humans are born to be free.
Speak the truth meaning?
Truth means revealing the facts that manifest reality.
Aristotle defined “Truth” as
Similar to the Truth Correspondence theory explained later Aristotle had this to say about truth
“To say what is that it is not, or of what is not that it is, is false, while to say of what is that, it is, and of what is not that it is not, is true”
Plato defined “Truth” as
Plato believed that knowledge itself is justified, true belief in reason and form.
Types of Truths
There are four types of truth
Objective truth
The truth exists and can be proven in this physicality.
Subjective truth
Subjective truth is how the individual sees or experiences the world.
Normative truth
Normative truth is what people as a group agrees to be the truth.
Complex Truth
Complex truth recognizes the validity of all truths above and allows the use of the truth most useful at any given time
Theories of Truth
There are three theories of truth
The correspondence theory of truth
Correspondence theory argues that “truth” is whatever corresponds to reality. Aristotle argued the same.
The coherence theory of truth
The coherence theory is that a belief is true when we can incorporate it in an orderly and logical manner into a larger and complex system of beliefs
Pragmatic theory of truth
The pragmatic theory of truth determines whether a belief is true or not based on whether it has a useful application in the world.
The difference between honesty and truth
Being truthful means actively making known all the full truth of a matter, whereas, honesty is not deliberately misleading others.
Why speaking the “Truth” is important
- The laws of the universe are based on the truth.
- By misleading people, we would be the odd fellow out of billions who would be trying to alter the course of a mathematically infinite universe – a futile effort.
- Mother Nature has its ways of course correcting aberrations that dishonesty and half-truth bring to the equation – no one would want to be outed as the liar.
- Somehow living things, of which humans are the most destructive due to free will, is connected to existence through their soul – which is true.
Some people call this existence an illusion, which might be correct, but the truth makes it seem real.
Speak the truth in Love
Truth is love manifested.
Also see, Love in a Muslim Society
Some people call to love a perfect combination of needs blending with hormones, but humans are too complex to box love into such a simplistic explanation.
Love is one of those realities in life that feel real and make existence worthwhile.
- The love of the mother for her child
- The love of the woman for her man
- The love of the father for her daughter
- The love of prophets for their people
- The love of a dog for its owner.
Speak the Truth in Society
Truth builds trust in a civilized society and becomes the glue that binds communities.
An elected leader must be truthful
Healthy societies can only function when the elected leaders tell them exactly the way things are.
People trust a truthful person too, as it shows character and integrity –the traits of leaders.
Truth, therefore, bind people in an interdependency network of trust.
- Also see, Qualities of Leaders
Hypocrisy hurts people collectively
In international relations hypocrisy is synonymous with realpolitik.
It makes more sense for countries to amplify a message of their choice and suppress others, in line with their interest.
But countries like that rarely are inspiring to other nations and societies.
The USA has the world’s ear mostly because its society discourages hypocrisy.
Most of the western world tries not to be hypocritical and hence they have influence.
The poorest of societies in the world tend to autocratic and hypocritical.
Family functions on trust
Family is the basic unit of society.
As trust is based on being truthful every time, be truthful to your spouse and kids.
Friends must speak the truth
The real friend is the one who tells you what is in your best interest, however painful.
“Only enemies speak the truth; friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty” Stephen King
That is why you should “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
Truth frees people
Truth also sets you free, in the real sense.
A truthful person does not have to look over his shoulders or recall whatever misrepresentations they have made earlier.
Truth spares your brain and conscience of an unnecessary burden, and that is real freedom.
Reality should never be hidden from your own self.
Then, your personal energy can be put to greater use.
Truth Resonates with people
If you are a writer, a manager, or a leader – wherever your sphere of influence is – speaking the truth will give your word resonance.
Conscience does prick
Conscience can either build or destroy you based on your preference for truth or falsehood.
A lie kept in the heart for long becomes poisonous.
“I have said to you to speak the truth is a painful thing. To be forced to tell lies is much worse” Oscar Wilde
- Also, see Intuition, your inner voice of God
The powerful thrive on secrecy and lies
The only power the weak and downtrodden have over the rich and powerful is the truth.
That is why every modern and progressive society is based on freedom of expression and association.
Intellectuals are the thought warriors who have been assigned by Mother Nature the dreadful task of exposing these crooked leaders.
Live up to it!
Tyrant hate the truth
A true word should be spoken when the collective future of people depends on these facts.
It is for this reason tyrants want you not to.
Remember Edi Amin the crazy tyrant of Uganda said,
“I can guarantee freedom of expression but not freedom after the expression”
This is because the facts, assessment, and knowledge destroy the smokescreen of falsehood dictators erect.
- Also, see enforced disappearances
Speaking the truth is not easy.
Who said anything in life is easy.
There are so many evil people in the world who can threaten your physical and mental peace when you are truthful – do you have to be one of them?
In so many miseries of life, one truthful being can at least reduce the suffering that much.
At least you can pass away peacefully in this short life, with the satisfaction that your existence eased people’s suffering and was not a lie.
A truthful person is persecuted
Socrates paid the ultimate price for truth and is still remembered today.
Who remembers his captors?
Best Quotes on “Truth”
- There is a price to pay for speaking the truth. There is a bigger price for living a lie” Cornel West
- “No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth” Plato
- “It is the responsibility of the intellectuals to speak the truth and expose the lies” Noam Chomsky
- “It is better to be divided than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then kills” Adrian Rogers
- “Speak the truth; transparency breeds legitimacy” John C. Maxwell
- Intellectuals are honest
- “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom” Thomas Jefferson
- “If I must have some failing let me rather speak the truth with too great sincerity than once to act the hypocrite and conceal the truth” Martin Luther
- “Fear is not in the habit of speaking the truth” Tacitus
- “Honesty is more than not lying. It is telling, truth speaking, truth living and truth-loving” James E Faust
- “As long as you are pure of heart, you speak the truth” Caliph Umar Khitab
- “Life is short and truth works far and lives long” Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Speak the truth, or it will reveal itself” Titon Rahmawan
- “Be humble; have the courage to speak the truth’ Ken Poirot
God is the truth
Every religion preaches its God to be the ultimate truth.
Even saints preach “Haq” or “Sach” (truth) to be God.
Incidentally, Sufi teachings talk about Truth, and God and Humans are the same.
“Unless one always speaks the truth, one cannot find God who is the soul of truth” Ramakrishna
Buddhism teaching on truth
“Rather than continuing to seek the truth, simply let go of your views.
As the respected Gautama Siddhartha himself found suffering in seeking the truth about existence, he did not wish it upon his followers.
You only must know the complete truth when you aim to achieve nirvana in life – which is by no means easy.
Otherwise, be truthful to yourself.
Truth in Christianity
“Hear; for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be the right thing. For my mouth shall speak the truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth and right to them that find knowledge” Proverbs 8:1, 6-11, KJV.
Islamic Quote on Truth
“Let there be no compulsion in religion, Truth stands out clear from Error” Quran 2; 256
- Also, see Quaid e Azam Quotes
Truths that need to be spoken in Pakistan
- Violation of the constitution is why Pakistan is in such a mess
- Rule of law will protect the weak
- Pakistan will only prosper when funds for education and health exceed all other heads.
- Democracy is the only system that gives hope to the marginalized.
- Religion in government will be misused by the powerful, every time
- Women have equal stakes in Islam, including worshiping inside mosques.
- Only the most productive and talented people deserve to get rich.
- Every minority ethnicity, religious denomination, sexual orientation, and gender needs to be given a level playing field.
- Oppressors rarely let go of power peacefully.
- There is no institution of “Mullah” in Islam
- Reforms in every institution must take place constantly.
- Pakistan has no enemies, only conflicting political interests.
- East Pakistan was lost because political institutions were weakened by dictators.
Also, see
Conclusion
All societies like Pakistan that have been tyrannized and brutalized by lies, hypocrisy, and superstition, must bring the real truth in the open for everyone to grieve one last time to help reconciliation take place.
Amicus Plato sed Magis Amica Veritas
“Plato is a friend, but the truth is a greater friend”!