The Love of Truth

It is a sad fact, I suspect, that we are in a very tiny minority, those of us who love truth and are prepared to seek it no matter how it disturbs our comfort zone.

Most people want affirmation from their social group more than they want truth. I think we have a very dangerous situation here. Social affirmation probably does benefit the individual more, on the whole, than knowing the real facts. Some facts are profoundly discomforting, whilst the consequences for disagreeing with the group (and especially those in power) can be immediate and catastrophic. But humanity now has the collective ability to destroy the potential for our planet to support human and a great deal of other life. Imagine a functionary in North Korea right now. The country's insane ambitions could precipitate a nuclear war, but the functionary who mentions the fact will be immediately sent to a gulag. So the shunning of truth will continue.

Those of us fortunate enough to exist in the western democracies of recent years have been privileged to live in the best and most open societies, the ones most encouraging of human happiness, that have ever existed. For some strange reason, acknowledging this truth has become socially unacceptable, and as a result we are steadily de-constructing those free societies and turning them into the sorts of societies that we already know (if we can look truth in the face) don't work.

The preference for social acceptance over truth is a mortal danger to humanity and even to life on Earth. Let those of us who are willing to put truth first, to love it and accept it no matter the cost in terms of social ostracism and hatred from those who must live in their comfort zone, let us stand firm as the true upholders and protectors of humanity and of all life on our planet.