Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before

"Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either." Thus spoke Aesop, the ancient teller of fables, whose wisdom still shines through the centuries. His words are a lamp for the discerning, for they remind us that truth is not always simple, nor does it stand naked before our eyes. Often it is wrapped in layers, shaped by perspective, and colored by circumstance. To seize one side and ignore the other is to walk half-blind, mistaking a fragment for the whole.

The ancients saw the danger of one-sided vision. In the courts of kings and councils of elders, wise judges demanded to hear both parties before rendering judgment. For truth cannot be known from one voice alone—it requires balance, examination, patience. To rush to side with the first tale heard is to risk injustice. Aesop, through his tales, often warned that appearances deceive and that wisdom lies not in haste, but in listening and weighing.

History, too, confirms this truth. Think of the Trojan War, immortalized in Homer’s Iliad. To the Greeks, the war was a righteous mission to reclaim Helen, stolen by Paris. To the Trojans, it was a defense of their prince and their honor. Both sides held their own truths, and for centuries men have debated whether the war was just or senseless. Had we only the voice of one side, the story would appear simple; but when both are heard, we glimpse the tragic complexity of human affairs.

Or recall the trial of Galileo. To the churchmen of his age, defending tradition was to defend truth itself, as they understood it. To Galileo, observing the heavens and declaring what he saw was the higher truth. Each side believed itself just. Only when we examine both can we understand not only the triumph of science, but also the fear of an institution that thought the very foundations of belief were at stake. Thus, every truth has two sides, and only by seeing both do we approach true wisdom.

The lesson is this: beware the temptation of certainty that comes too quickly. The heart delights in simple answers, in clear villains and heroes, in truths that shine without shadow. Yet reality is often more intricate. To live wisely is to pause, to ask, to listen even when it is uncomfortable. For those who rush to take sides risk becoming tools of falsehood, while those who seek the full picture stand as guardians of justice.

Practically, this means that in disputes great or small, you must discipline your mind. Do not commit yourself to one tale until you have heard the other. In conversation, listen before you judge. In politics, weigh more than one perspective before declaring allegiance. In personal quarrels, remember that each heart has its own wound, its own story. If you would be fair, you must be patient.

So remember, children of tomorrow: truth is like a coin—it has two sides, and both must be seen before its worth is known. If you hold only one side, you hold not the coin but an illusion. Look deeply, listen broadly, and weigh carefully before you act. For in this balance lies wisdom, and in this patience lies justice. Thus did Aesop teach, and thus must we remember: every truth is many-sided, and the wise are those who seek the whole.