Above all, I would teach him to tell the truth Truth-telling, I

J. Edgar Hoover, the long-serving director of the FBI and a man who gazed for decades into the hidden chambers of crime, once declared: “Above all, I would teach him to tell the truth. Truth-telling, I have found, is the key to responsible citizenship. The thousands of criminals I have seen in 40 years of law enforcement have had one thing in common: Every single one was a liar.” These words, forged in the crucible of forty years’ experience, strike like iron against stone. For Hoover recognized that the seed of corruption is not merely violence or greed, but the quiet, poisonous habit of abandoning truth.

The origin of this saying lies in Hoover’s career, where he dealt not with ideals in books, but with the reality of human failings. He observed that deception was the common thread that ran through countless lives of crime. Theft, fraud, murder—all were first wrapped in a cloak of lies. Lies to others, lies to the law, lies even to the self. From this, Hoover drew a lesson as sharp as any ancient maxim: without truth-telling, there can be no trust, no justice, no responsible citizenship. A nation of liars cannot stand, for its very foundation crumbles beneath the weight of falsehood.

History provides grim confirmation of this wisdom. Consider the fall of Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal. It was not merely the break-in that destroyed him, but the web of lies spun to conceal it. One falsehood demanded another, until the entire edifice of government was shaken. Or look further back, to the tale of Julius Caesar’s assassins. They cloaked their act in the lie of patriotism, declaring themselves liberators of Rome, but their deception plunged the Republic into chaos. Time and again, it is not merely violence, but lying, that unleashes destruction upon societies.

Yet Hoover’s words are not only a warning, but a call to discipline. He speaks of teaching a child to tell the truth above all. This is no small matter, for truth-telling is not instinctive—it must be taught, cultivated, and guarded. Children lie easily, as do adults, when fear or pride beckons. But to be formed into a citizen—one worthy of trust, one capable of bearing responsibility—a person must be trained in honesty as the highest virtue. For truth is not merely a private good; it is the lifeblood of community.

We must also see the heroic courage hidden in Hoover’s observation. To tell the truth is not always safe. It can cost one friends, position, even life itself. Socrates was condemned for truth. Whistleblowers have lost careers for truth. Yet those who cling to lies, whether criminals or leaders, destroy themselves from within. The way of truth is hard, but it alone builds a society strong enough to endure storms. Lies, though convenient, are houses of straw.

The lesson for us is direct and piercing: guard truth as your greatest treasure. Speak it, even when it is costly. Teach it to your children, so that their words may be trusted. Recognize that every lie, however small, is a step toward ruin, for it weakens the soul’s bond with reality. Citizenship itself depends upon this virtue. Without truth, laws cannot be enforced, promises cannot be trusted, leaders cannot be believed, and society becomes a market of deceit.

Practically, this means beginning with the smallest matters. Do not lie to spare yourself embarrassment. Do not exaggerate to win approval. Do not deceive for gain. Train your tongue and your heart to align with reality. And when confronted with dishonesty in others, do not shrug—it is not a harmless vice, but the seed of criminality and collapse. Hold truth as sacred, for in holding it, you uphold the very possibility of justice and peace.

Thus, Hoover’s words echo as a stern but necessary reminder: truth-telling is the key to responsible citizenship. Lies may seem small, but they are the root of every great crime, the downfall of every corrupt empire, and the ruin of every failed leader. Let us, therefore, walk in truth with courage, teaching it to the young, guarding it in ourselves, and demanding it of our communities. For without truth, there can be no trust, and without trust, no civilization can endure.