Telling the Truth

It has been said that "truth is the greatest virtue," and also that one should "learn the truth and the truth shall set you free," and some people even teach that one should always tell the truth. But is it true that to lie or to withold the truth is always bad?

I have long held that deceipt is a form of force in that it causes people to act against their rational will or self-interest contrary to their just desires. Is it ever proper to use force, or deceipt, and if so when and why?

Knowledge of the truth can be quite stressful, especially when you want things to be different than they are. Telling the "truth" forces others to confront ideas with which they may find conflict.

Typically, we do not possess the truth, but instead we know only our version of the truth, or our perspective tainted by our desires and philosophies. When we believe that a person is mean, we tend to only see those things which justify that view. When we are dishonest, we tend to superimpose that character upon all others, believing that other people are generally dishonest.

In general, we can only have two effects on others: positive (empowering) or negative (harmful). The only rational course of action is to influence our friends positively and our enemies negatively. Contrary to the well-known saying: Knowledge is not always power. Knowledge may destroy desire, morale, and even oneself, if one is unprepared to receive it, understand it, and accept it.

While it is no person's duty to empower their enemies, you are always much better off winning friends from enemies when possible (assuming the risk of betrayal is managed appropriately). Conversely, it is your duty to empower your friends, that your alliances may stand stronger in the face of adversity.

Therefore care must be taken to ensure that you always empower your friends to the degree of power with which they may be safely trusted, for no person may be assumed to hold an infinitely strong bond of friendship, except perhaps God Himself, Who is already infinitely powerful (perhaps for that very reason). Care must also be taken that your enemies are fought in such a way as to miminize one's own loss of power by the consumption of resources in the war, and to lower the overall threat to oneself consisting of the summation of all of the individual threats from each of one's enemies. Again, the authentic transformation of enemies to friends is of vital importance in that it simultaneously saves the expenditure of resources in confrontation and adds strength to your alliance.

In conclusion, the only truth which should be said is that which empowers and inspires your friends according to the respective degrees of trust, and which harms or discourages your enemies according to the threats they pose to your alliance. Insufficient inspiration and empowerment limits the potential to increase trust with one's friends, and strengthen one's alliance. Excessive harm costs excessive sacrifice in the conflict and reduces the opportunities for winning friends of your enemies. The optimal balance requires great wisdom and rational consideration.

-by Andy Landen