The above quotation is typically attributed to the great George Orwell, but in fact, although it is consistent with his beliefs, it is not contained within his known writings. That said, the profundity of what this statement means is apropos of what we see in the society of today, which expends far too much time and effort creating a narrative that oftentimes isn’t close to the truth, and those that propagate these lies are the very same that know the truth but dare not speak it, because to do so would take from them their power and authority. Indeed, we live in a time in which more and more we find that the government that is supposed to be of, for, and by the people, in addition to providing beneficence to the people, has instead its own agenda that predominates its narrative, which is to control and to manipulate the people for the greater benefit of those that are the power brokers of this nation.
When truth dies, so does the society that we are members of, because those who live in lies are the same who have forsaken truth for that which is the anathema of truth. So too, not only will those that lie to us, desire to hunt down those that would distribute the truth, as well as to hate those truth-seekers and truth speakers, but they will make it their principle interest to see that those that stand up for truth that contradicts the lies that they are spinning day and night, are shunned, silenced or compromised as much as they are able to do.
To live within a construct in which lies are king is to live in a type of hell, because those who are subservient to lies are the same who have done so to the disgrace of their good character and are therefore harmful to the society which they are a member of. To live for truth is to live for goodness, to live for justice, and to live for what is right, and those who will not break and run when faced with the troubling winds of lies are those who are the epitome of what it means to be a noble and true soul.
To testify to truth, especially when those that are in power are full of lies and deceit is not an easy thing, but it needs to be done because the only way to take down those that lie to us, is to stand arm in arm with truth, because not only is that the right thing to do, but it is the necessary thing to do, for when good people, sell out the qualities that humankind need in order to build successful and vibrant communities, they have done so to not only their own personal destruction but also to the destruction of that which we were meant to uphold, as our highest duty, for those that are true, are those that have run their race well and proper, and are the same that we should faithfully follow to the only finish line that matters.