Today's quotation:

We should never be ashamed to approve truth or acquire it, no matter what its source might be, even if it might have come from foreign peoples and alien nations far removed from us.  To those who seek the truth, no other object is higher in value.  Neither shall truth be under-rated, nor its exponent belittled.  For indeed, truth abases none and ennobles all.

Rasa'il al-Kindi

Today's Meditation:

I value the truth very much, and I've given it a very prominent place in my life.  I don't claim to tell the truth all the time, but I do my very best to be as truthful as possible-- without hurting others-- as often as I can be.  While I believe that there are very few absolute truths, I know that for the most part, being faithful to the truth is one of the most important things we can do if we want to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

People who don't respect the truth often end up creating awkward, difficult, and painful situations.  If I'm not faithful to the truth, others learn this fact very quickly and cease to trust me, and I can accomplish very little of import if I'm not trusted.  I don't want to be a person whom others doubt every time I open my mouth to say something, and I don't want to cause harm to others by not telling the truth.

In politics, we see a world in which the truth is often completely ignored in favor of what is expedient or beneficial to the person not telling the truth.  And they get away with this, over and over again, because they've established and maintained relationships with other people who also don't value the truth.  This can make it hard for others to embrace the truth and be faithful to it, because they see these people benefiting from telling lies, and facing no negative consequences for doing so.

But our lives are our lives, to lead as we will.  We don't have to emulate those whose integrity is suspect just because they've gained some benefits from not respecting the truth.  We need to know that we're people who can be trusted and dealt with in a straightforward manner, for this world needs much more truth and far fewer lies, and we can help to fulfill that need.

For further thought:

The most casual student of history knows that, as a matter of fact, truth does not necessarily vanquish.  What is more, truth can never win unless it is promulgated.  Truth does not carry within itself an anti-toxin to falsehood.  The cause of truth must be championed, and it must be championed dynamically.

William F. Buckley, Jr.

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