posted March 21, 2007 09:56 AM         

"We need strong ears to hear ourselves judged frankly."
- Michel de Montaigne

"Tell the truth, and run like hell."
- Unknown

"He who tells the truth must have one foot in the stirrup."
-- Armenian Proverb

"The average man does not get pleasure out of an idea because he thinks it is true; he thinks it is true because he gets pleasure out of it."
-- Henry Louis Mencken

"From the cowardice that shrinks from new truth, from the laziness that is content with half truth, from the arrogance that thinks it has all the truth -- Oh, God of truth, deliver us!"
-- Unknown

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened."
--Winston Churchill

"The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls."
-- Elizabeth Cady Stanton

"Telling the truth when we feel vulnerable is one of the hardest things to do. We might fear rejection, abandonment, disapproval, disappointment, rage, hurt, or just the raw exposure that's an unavoidable part of the process. Yet most every time we're willing to tell a hard truth, we grow and deepen in presence, no matter the response. The energy that we previously lock up to maintain a false front is now freed to uplift and enliven us."
-- Raphael Cushnir

"Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it's not going to go away."
-- Elvis Presley

"Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence."
-- Henri Frederic Amiel

"The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy; only the artist, the great artist, knows how difficult it is."
-- Willa Cather

"Truth springs from argument amongst friends."
-- David Hume

"Say not unto thyself, Behold, truth breedeth hatred, and I will avoid it; dissimulation raiseth friends, and I will follow it. Are not the enemies made by truth, better than the friends obtained by flattery?"
-- Akhenaton

“It is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts... For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it.”
-- Patrick Henry

"It is dangerous to be right on a subject on which the established authorities are wrong."
-- Voltaire

"A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it."
- G.K. Chesterton

"All truth goes through three stages.
First it is ridiculed.
Then it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."
- Arthur Schopenhauer

"Rather than love, than money,
than fame, give me truth!"
- Thoreau

"I don't want any yes-men around me.
I want everybody to tell me the truth,
even if it costs them their jobs."
- Samuel Goldwyn

"The first and last thing required of genius is the love of truth."
- Goethe

"A great philosophy is not one that passes final judgments and establishes ultimate truth. It is one that causes uneasiness and starts commotion."
- Charles Peguy

"I love you, and because I love you, I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies."
- Pietro Aretino

"The truth will set you free,
but first it will **** you off."
- Unknown

"Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie;
A fault which needs it most, grows two thereby."
-- George Herbert

"When fiction rises pleasing to the eye,
Men will believe, because they love the lie;
But truth herself, if clouded with a frown,
Must have some solemn proof to pass her down."
- Charles Churchill

"I deny the lawfulness of telling a lie to a sick man for fear of alarming him; you have no business with consequences, you are to tell the truth."
-- Samuel Johnson

"The terrible thing about the quest for truth is that you find it."
- Remy de Gourmont

"The dream begins, most of the time, with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you on to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth."
-- Dan Rather

"Truth never damages a cause that is just."
- Mahatma Gandhi

"I cannot comprehend how any man can want anything but the truth."
-- Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

posted March 21, 2007 12:56 PM         

Honest and for True
by John Collins
I saw an old Greek fellow wandering the streets the other evening holding a lantern out in front of himself, scanning the storefronts, alleyways, and passing cars. He looked kind of disappointed. I can't say as I blame him.

I don't mean to be a Cynic, but I think Diogenes' task of finding an honest man was probably a lot easier in his day than it is in ours. In fact, dishonesty and deception are so pervasive in today's society that we've constructed entire lexicons of larcenous and libelous language for the everyday use of politicians, lawyers, and ex-football stars.

As you've probably guessed, this issue's Origins focusses on honesty. This is apropos, actually, since the main purpose of the column is to help uncover the truth behind everyday sayings. Now, time to get to the Naked Truth.

But what is Truth, really, and why is it naked. Well, Truth, it seems, is a tall, skinny fellow, slightly balding, with a protruding Adam's apple, very scholarly and, of course, modest and reserved, though occasionally a little self-righteous. One day, lo these many years agone, Truth and his rather slovenly counterpart, Falsehood, were strolling together through the woods (they were often together, as they are quite dependent on each other — what is the light of Truth, after all, without the darkness of Falsehood against which to compare it?). They were chatting amiably, as was their wont, though not paying much attention to each other:

Truth: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty — that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need know."

Falsehood: "Truth, sir, is a cow, which will yield people no more milk, and so they are gone to milk the bull."

Truth: "If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people."

Falsehood: "In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing."

Their friendly discourse was interrupted by the appearance of a lovely lake (well, okay, the lake didn't actually appear, it was sort of already there and they just happened upon it). On a hot day such as the one on which we are visiting the companions, it was a welcome sight, and they both stripped naked — see where this is going now? — and jumped in.

Truth was splashing pleasantly about enjoying the natural honesty of the little fishies when Falsehood challenged him to swim to the other side of the lake. As it wasn't all that far (and as Truth was, truth to tell, a tad gullible), Truth took the challenge and set off for the far shore. No sooner was he twenty yards away, however, than Falsehood splashed up to the beach and stole Truth's clothes for himself, since they were much finer than his old rags.

When Truth got back from his little excursion, he saw Falsehood parading around on the shore in Truth's finery. When asked about his actions, Falsehood replied, "Since Truth is beauty, you don't need these nice clothes. You can wear mine." And with that, he walked off into the woods.

Truth slogged out of the lake and looked down at the little pile of stained robes left by Falsehood. "I would rather," he announced to no one in particular, "walk naked than wear the raiments of Falsehood!" And henceforth, he walks the earth as Naked Truth.

So, there it is, the unadulterated truth about Truth.

Here are a few quotes I like.....oh so many it was so difficult to chose just these few!

Without love, benevolence becomes egotism
--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
<*){{{><{
Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble and attempts
what is above its strength.
- Thomas A Kempis
}><}}}(*>
My religion is simple, my religion is kindness.
- Dalai Llama
<*){{{><{
Kindness: a language the deaf can hear and the
blind can see.
- Unknown
}><}}}(*>
Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in
thinking creates profoundness Kindness in giving
creates love.
- Lao-Tzu
<*){{{><{
Remember there's no such thing as a small act of
kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no
logical end.
- Scott Adams
}><}}}(*>
Be the change you want to see in the world.
--Mahatma Gandhi
<*){{{><{
Hate the sin and love the sinner.
--Mahatma Gandhi [Mahatma] India nationalist, spiritual leader
}><}}}(*>
If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything
--Mark Twain
<*){{{><{
Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is
not. - Samuel Johnson
}><}}}(*>
An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared
than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body,
but an evil friend will wound your mind.
--Buddha
<*){{{><{
Words have the power to both destroy and heal.
When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.
--Buddha
}><}}}(*>
God places the heaviest burden on those who can carry it's weight
--Reggie White
<*){{{><{
Conscience is God's presence in man.
-- Emanuel Swedenborg
}><}}}(*>
Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.
--Mark Twain
<*){{{><{
If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will
prevent you from seeing the stars.
--Rabindranath Tagore
}><}}}(*>
Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one
is listening. Love like you've never been hurt
and live like it's heaven on Earth.
- Mark Twain
<*){{{><{
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege
it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
--Marcus Aurelius
}><}}}(*>
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.
--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
<*){{{><{
Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg
cackles as if she has laid an asteroid.
--Mark Twain
}><}}}(*> <*){{{><{
~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~

_________________

posted March 23, 2007 03:40 PM         

Most of us are familiar with the above quote taking from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but how many of us know this verse: “And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou can not then be false to any man.” Unless we can be true to ourselves first, we cannot be true to others.

To thine own self be true…..how profound. How many of us have a hard time being true to ourselves? Those of us that gave our life to another at the cost of loosing who we are in the process will have a hard time being true to ourselves. Allowing someone else to define who we are, we lose our ability to discover and grow inwardly. We no longer are able to discern a truth from a lie. For many of us, we have accepted lies for so long, that finding out what is true takes time. Having done this very thing, I know how difficult the journey to self-discovery can be.

Truth….truth is a word that brings out such negative reactions to many of us. You see truth is really an action word. You cannot accept truth without change. Accepting truth about ourselves is difficult, especially to those of us who have been abused. But
truth does set one free if we will allow it to; it is a crucial part of healing. It gives us the freedom to be who we are. We are able to come to terms with our weakness (without condemnation) and appreciate our strength. Truth gives strength; it naturally builds healthy boundaries. Truth is open; it is honest even at the risk of being vulnerable again. Truth is light and brings forth life. When we walk in truth, we walk in light and when we walk in light we live a healthy life.

Truth is also love. The greatest act of love towards another is living a life that is truthful. For those of us who find it difficult to love ourselves, we will find it will come more easily when we walk in truth about who we are. If we walk in truth, we walk in perfect love, and if we walk in perfect love, then we do not walk in fear because perfect love cast out fear. Because we have been honest with ourselves, we are able to love ourselves with all of our imperfections, knowing that we are in “process” and therefore need not have others approval. This is freedom indeed.

The second part of this verse is a natural occurrence if we hold true to the first part of the verse. So, when in doubt as to our motives of not being truthful with someone….look inside, are we being less than truthful to ourselves?

quote:

---

”This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
-Shakespeare-Hamlet

---

posted March 23, 2007 05:06 PM         

“Honesty is the cruelest game of all,
because not only can you hurt someone -
and hurt them to the bone -
you can feel self-righteous about it at the same time.”
- Dave Van Ronk (folk singer)

"He who is passionate and hasty is generally honest. It's your cool, dissembling, smiling hypocrite, of whom you should beware. There is no deceit about the bull dog. It's only the cur that sneaks up and bites you when your back's turned. Again, we say, beware of a man who has psalmody in his looks."
- unknown

"Our headstrong passions shut the door of our souls against God."
- Confucius

"Women are much more alike than men;
they have, in truth, but two passions:
vanity and love; these are their universal characteristics."
- 4th Earl of Chesterfield

"The passions may be humored till they become our masters,
as a horse may be pampered till he gets the better of his rider;
but early discipline will prevent mutiny,
and keep the helm in the hands of reason."
- Richard Cumberland, Bishop of Peterborough

"If a man break his vow, it does not prove he is insincere, but, that he is a man."
- HSC

Great passions are incurable diseases.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Passions are defects or virtues in the highest power.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

He only employs his passion who can make no use of his reason.
- Cicero

Come, come, it's only the passions that make you think.
- Madame Marie Anne du Deffand,

posted March 23, 2007 05:17 PM         

An easy flow of words is no sign of an abundance of ideas. Swift made a wise comparison when he likened a well stored mind to a crowded church, where the people elbow each other, and cannot get out.

"If a civil word or two will render a man happy," said a French king, "he must be a wretch indeed who will not give them to him. Such a disposition is like lighting another man's candle by one's own, which loses none of its brilliancy by what the other gains."

- unknown

"Gentlemen of the jury," said an eminent lawyer, "there are four points in this case. In the first place, we contend that we never had the plaintiff's horse; second, that we paid him for the use of the horse; third, he agreed to let us use the horse for his keeping, without any charge; and fourth, that his horse is a jackass."

posted March 23, 2007 05:24 PM         

- Mike Skinner, "The Streets"

posted April 03, 2007 09:11 PM         

- Sufyan al Thawri "Essential Sufism"

posted April 03, 2007 10:47 PM         

I really liked the article that you posted on being true to oneself.