Pilate famously asked, “What is truth?” but left before waiting for an answer. Even today, some people adopt the same attitude. They thrive on uncertainty, resisting any firm belief because they see it as limiting their freedom—freedom to think, act, and live however they choose. This mindset isn’t new. While the ancient philosophers who championed it are long gone, there are still modern thinkers who echo their ideas, albeit with less vigor and depth.
Why do lies hold such power over people? It’s not just that truth is hard to find or that accepting it can feel restrictive. There’s a deeper, almost instinctive love for lies themselves. The ancient Greeks, including members of later philosophical schools, puzzled over this strange phenomenon. Why would anyone love lies that neither entertain, like poetry, nor bring profit, like trade? Lies, it seems, have a peculiar charm all their own.
Truth, by contrast, is like broad daylight—clear and plain. It doesn’t dazzle or flatter the world like candlelight does at a glamorous party. Truth may have the value of a pearl, exquisite in daylight, but it lacks the dazzling allure of a diamond or ruby, which sparkle in varied lights. Lies, with their mixture of fantasy and illusion, often feel more captivating. If you stripped away every false belief, inflated hope, and unreal expectation from people’s minds, many would feel empty, disheartened, and lost.
One of the early Church Fathers, Gregory Nazianzen, called poetry “the wine of demons” because it fills the imagination with illusions, even though they’re beautiful. But the real danger isn’t in passing thoughts of lies—it’s the lies that take root in our hearts and influence our actions.
Despite this, truth is the ultimate good. The search for truth is like wooing a great love; finding it is like standing in its presence, and living it is the ultimate joy. Truth is the foundation of humanity’s noblest qualities. From the beginning, light and truth have been intertwined. God’s first act of creation was to bring light into the chaos, and he continues to illuminate the minds of those who seek him.
The poet Lucretius captured this idea beautifully: “It is a pleasure to stand on the shore and watch ships tossed upon the sea; a pleasure to stand in a castle window and watch a battle below. But the greatest pleasure is to stand on the high ground of truth, where the air is clear and serene, and watch the errors, wanderings, and storms below.” However, this view from above must come with compassion, not arrogance. Living with truth as your guide brings clarity, peace, and purpose—what Bacon described as “heaven on earth.”
Bacon Blueprint 