Adversity is the first path to truth.” Lord Byron 1788-1824, British Poet

In the movie “A Few Good Men” (1992), Jack Nicholson plays Col. Nathan R. Jessep while Tom Cruise plays LTJG Daniel Kaffee. Their dialogue goes like this:

Col. Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee: I think I'm entitled.
Col. Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee: I want the truth.
Col. Jessep: You can't handle the truth.

The real question is could we handle the truth. Are we so bound up in our private lives that the real truth would demolish or destroy us? Could we handle the truth? Could we bare up to discover the fact that our wife, husband, boy friend or girl friend had cheated on us, or just the opposite that they are madly in love with us and we can’t possibly reciprocate in kind? Could we handle the fact that our wife, daughter or granddaughter had been raped? Could we acknowledge the fact that our son or grandson had been the perpetrator in a separate rape case?

Given these extremes could we face the fact that we have cancer or some other incurable disease with only months to life; that our job performance is below par and we are about to be terminated? Could we handle the truth?

In Perry Mason days the famous line was “ Do you swear the tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God. “ I’m sure the American Civil Liberties Union and Madeline Murray O’Hara have seen to change that. Truth is one of those elusive subjects that must be described in some sort of context.

In the Bible, Pilate asks Jesus in John 18:38 “what is truth?” But he does not wait for an answer and walks away from Jesus. Knowing what we know about Pilate, could he handle the truth? Another quote from the Bible in John 8:32 “... And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Non-religious people have described truth in their own manner. Let’s look at a few. ”The truth knocks on the door and you say, ‘go away, I'm looking for the truth,’ and it goes away. Puzzling.” Robert M. Pirsig, American author

“They deem him their worst enemy who tells them the truth” Plato, BC 427-347, Greek philosopher. But than in another statement he says, “truth is its own reward.” Can we have both ways?

“Not every truth is the better for showing its face undisguised; and often silence is the wisest thing for a man to heed.” Pindar, Greek poet.

“Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” Oscar Wilde, 1856-1900, British author and wit.

Perhaps we should take the position of Marcus T. Cicero c. 106-43 BC, Roman orator and politician: “We should not be so taken up in the search for truth, as to neglect the needful duties of active life; for it is only action that gives a true value and commendation to virtue.”