நாளொரு பக்கம் 57
Tuesday, the 21th April 2015
An honest man speaks the truth, though it may give offence; a vain man, in order that it may.
-William Hazlitt, essayist (1778-1830)
Virtually forgotten by contemporary literary trends, William Hazlitt was first and foremost an essayist of renown in his time; he was versatile though and was even a painter. In this particular quote, we can see his using the same words with such a subtle nuance that there is word-play, but, with serious intent.
Truth is not always pleasant - say the stark truth behind red sanders. An honest man will not flinch from telling the truth about the mafia, though it may displease the High & Mighty. A vain man also tells the truth - about the concert being not up to the mark in his reckoning - with the specific intent to cause offence to the musician.
In other words, the truth gets tarnished when the intention is to cause hurt. Truth, the supreme virtue, is mere dust, if the handler is vainglorious, ego-centric, hurtful. Even if it causes offence by its very nature, if spoken by an honest man, people are more likely to take to the lesson than take offence.
-x-
Image Credit: http://us.123rf.com/450wm/flybird163/flybird1631207/flybird163120700051/14309020-truth-and-lie-choice-symbol.jpg
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