By Venansio ahabwe
“By the practice of speaking the truth, the mind is purified of its dirt. It shines like a clean mirror and reflects the divine form of the Lord with great effulgence,” said Swami Sivananda. Unfortunately, people seem to gain advantages from telling lies, which tempts others to do the same. People who tell lies do so for many reasons such as: fear to offend others, fear of rejection, or covering up mistakes. Such people imagine that the truth can cause some problems, so telling lies becomes an option. They tell lies so that they can be trusted, even when everyone can see their dishonesty.
The good news is, according to psychologists; human beings are honest by default. Therefore, most people tell the truth most of the time and this has advantages for both individuals and communities. To tell the truth means that one is very serious and sincere about what one knows, does and says. Telling the truth occurs when what a person is saying is an unmistakeable fact.
Two professors at Notre Dame University conducted an ‘honesty’ experiment and concluded that telling the truth is good for our health; it improves one’s mental and physical health. Telling lies all the time is a symptom of a personality disorder. Truthful people tend to be less stressed and sleep better, hence peace to them and their friends. In his epistle, John says to a friend, “…may you enjoy health of body and soul…. I greatly rejoiced (about) your faithfulness to the truth, namely how you walk in the truth. Nothing gives me greater joy than to know that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:2-4). A person who tells the truth finds it easy to remember what he said, without the risk of contradicting himself, increasing the brain’s capacity to become more productive. A truthful person is confident and happy about himself, for there is almost nothing to worry about: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). This person is good to deal with, respected and easily believable, even by people who might not appreciate the value of truth.
The easiest thing to practice in order to be happy, successful and fulfilled is honesty. Honesty promotes openness, sharpens our perception and allows us to observe everything around us with clarity. When Thomas sought clarification about how to get to heaven, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). An Arabian proverb states, “He who is a slave of truth is a free man.”
In most communities, elders – because of their perceived integrity – are regarded as the embodiment of truth. The Swahili have a saying: “The mouth of an elder may have an offensive smell, but has no lie.” With truth, you know that you are living a life that is in line with your deeper values and thus, your decisions are based on truth. You can look at yourself in the mirror with a sense of pride and express your true self to others fully. “Integrity is telling myself the truth; and honesty is telling the truth to other people” – Spencer Johnson. As a result, you become a better friend, partner, parent or colleague: “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another” (Ephesians 4:25). Telling the truth means trust and love, as Scripture teaches: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour” (Exodus 20:16). Another Swahili proverb proclaims, “It is better to have a wizard as a neighbour than a liar.”
When we really care about our family, friends or neighbours, we must be ready to tell them the bitter truth. Pretenders will tell you what you want to hear, but real friends will tell you what you don’t want to hear: “An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies” (Proverbs 12:17). During the interrogation by Pilate, Jesus Christ revealed his identify with a powerful statement about the value of telling the truth. “Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ And Jesus answered, ‘Just as you say, I am a king……I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth hears my voice.’ Pilate said, ‘What is truth’?” (John 18:37-38). Indeed, the psalmist proclaims, “O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart” (Psalms 15:1-2).Truth is power and speaking the truth is the foundation of integrity in life.
Everyone should be encouraged to speak the truth so that people know that the truth is not scary and that the world does not end when the truth is told.
