Oasis.
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Truth is the one virtue on which all other virtues can be built upon. Being truthful is an absolutely essential element in the making of a virtuous person. Yet, more often than not, we lie without batting an eyelid. We may lie often to hide the truth and sometimes to paint ourselves as “mightier than thou.” Whatever the motive, sooner or later, hiding the truth or misrepresenting the truth or even evading the truth becomes a way of life until downright lying evokes no guilt or remorse.
The genesis of lying may date back to our childhood. Fearing a punishment from our elders and teachers we resort to a white lie. This phenomenon becomes a habit. We grow into an adult with scant regard for truth. But all the while being untruthful hinders our progress. Conversely, being a truthful person can make all the difference to a fruitful life.
A truthful person can always be relied upon. He has the trust of those he associates with. People look up to him for this virtue. He is a role model for others to emulate. He does not have to be on guard or resort to unnecessary manipulation. This is why Mark Twain famously said, “You don’t have to remember anything if you tell the truth.”
Truth, in essence, is the foundation of a civilised man. It forms the bedrock of a progressive society. A nation that teaches its children the value of truth can be sure to reach great levels of fairness and progress. For, a lie may take care of the present, but it has no future. All the great leaders that the world has seen were proponents of truth. As Henry David Thoreau, the renowned President of the United States of America, frequently said, “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”
Closer home, our very own Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our nation, put it more succinctly when he affirmed, “Truth alone will endure, all the rest will be swept away before the tide of time. I must continue to bear testimony to truth even if I am forsaken by all. Mine may today be a voice in the wilderness, but it will be heard when all other voices are silenced, if it is the voice of Truth.”