Grow your tree of falsehood from a small grain of truth. Do not

Listen, O children of wisdom, for the words of Czeslaw Milosz carry a deep and complex understanding of truth and falsehood, of the delicate interplay between reality and the stories we tell. He said, "Grow your tree of falsehood from a small grain of truth. Do not follow those who lie in contempt of reality. Let your lie be even more logical than the truth itself, so the weary travelers may find repose." In these words, Milosz speaks to the nature of deception, not as a simple distortion of reality, but as something that can be built, layered, and crafted with a semblance of truth to make it more palatable. The lie, in his view, is not just an absence of truth, but something that, in its very construction, may feel more logical and comforting than the harshness of reality.

What is the nature of truth, O seekers? It is that which stands firm in the face of all doubt, a rock upon which the world rests. Truth does not yield to comfort or convenience; it is often uncomfortable, even brutal, in its clarity. Falsehood, on the other hand, is a creature born of the need to escape from that discomfort. Milosz teaches us that a lie is most powerful when it is built upon a grain of truth. It is this small kernel of truth that gives the lie the strength to grow, like a tree that begins with a seed, and slowly spreads its branches to cover the light of reality. The lie, when woven with truth, becomes seductive, for it offers a semblance of security, a shelter from the storms of uncertainty.

Consider, O children, the example of propaganda in history, where lies have often been constructed from fragments of truth. In the Soviet Union, the regime's control over the narrative was such that truth was distorted, twisted into a version of reality that suited the needs of those in power. The people were fed a small grain of truth: the promise of equality and a better society. But from this seed grew the tree of falsehood, with branches of logic and rationale that hid the pain of millions suffering under the weight of a dictatorship. The lie was structured so perfectly that it appeared more coherent than the messy, uncomfortable truth of human suffering. The weary travelers of the Soviet state were given this lie to find rest, but in their rest, they were lulled into a deeper sleep, unaware of the darkness that surrounded them.

Think, too, of the rise of the Nazi regime, where falsehoods were crafted with such precision that they were more logical than the truth of a world united in diversity and peace. Hitler’s propaganda machine took fragments of truth — the difficulties of a nation recovering from war, the economic struggles of the people — and twisted them into a narrative that justified hatred, division, and violence. The lie, logical and appealing in its simplicity, offered the weary and disillusioned a solution, a way to make sense of their suffering. But this lie did not lead them to repose, but to destruction and despair, as the truth of human dignity was buried beneath the weight of manipulation and deceit.

Milosz’s warning, therefore, is not just a caution about lying, but about the danger of lies that appear more logical than the truth. It is a call to be vigilant against the seductive power of falsehoods that, though comforting and easy to accept, only lead to destruction in the long run. The true challenge, O children, is to seek the truth even when it is uncomfortable, even when it is difficult, and not to take refuge in the lies that appear to offer respite. Truth may not always give you rest, but it will always give you the strength to rise again, to face the world with clear eyes and a heart full of integrity.

In your own lives, beware of the small grains of truth that you allow to grow into falsehoods, for it is easy to deceive ourselves, to make our lives simpler, to create narratives that make us feel more comfortable. But comfort in falsehoods is a prison, and the truth, though harsh, is the key to freedom. Do not be afraid of discomfort, for it is in the struggle with truth that we grow, that we become stronger, more capable, and more alive. Do not seek to live in the world of comfortable lies, for it is only through facing the difficult truths of existence that we come to understand what it means to live with courage, wisdom, and honor.

Thus, the lesson, O children of wisdom, is this: let the small seeds of truth remain pure, and do not allow them to grow into deceptive trees that obscure the light. Embrace the truth, however difficult, for it is only in truth that we find the strength to stand tall in the face of adversity. Let your actions be guided by truth, and let the falsehoods that seek to comfort you fall away, for in truth alone lies the power to transform the world. Let your hearts be open to the truths that challenge and shape you, and through this openness, you will find the path to true peace and understanding.