I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me

The words of Samuel Goldwyn—“I don’t want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them their job”—strike with the weight of iron and the fire of conviction. In them we hear not only the voice of a film producer, but the eternal cry of all great leaders who long to stand upon solid ground rather than shifting sand. For truth, though dangerous, is the foundation of wisdom, while flattery and falsehood, however sweet, bring only ruin. Goldwyn understood that a man surrounded by yes-men is a man already walking toward destruction, for lies and cowardice can never sustain greatness.

The ancients, too, taught this lesson. In the courts of kings, it was not the flatterers but the prophets who spoke with power. Nathan, who confronted King David with the truth of his sin, risked his life to do so. But it was that truth, unwelcome though it was, that restored the king’s soul. So it is in every age: those who whisper only what pleases a leader’s ears may win his favor for a moment, but they rob him of reality, blinding him to danger until disaster falls. Better one voice of honesty that wounds than a chorus of lies that destroy.

History confirms this with painful clarity. Consider the fall of Adolf Hitler, who surrounded himself with men too fearful to speak the truth. His generals, rather than risk his wrath, often told him what he wanted to hear, not what he needed to know. Thus he pursued reckless campaigns, blind to reality, until his empire crumbled into ashes. Contrast this with Abraham Lincoln, who built his cabinet not of flatterers but of rivals and critics. He sought voices that challenged him, men who would speak boldly, even when it cost them favor. It was through such counsel, forged in honesty, that he steered the nation through its darkest hour.

Goldwyn’s words were spoken in the world of cinema, but their meaning extends far beyond. In the realm of business, leadership, and life itself, the danger of yes-men is ever present. A company, a nation, or a family where truth is suppressed will stumble into folly. Only where honesty is prized above comfort can wisdom prevail. To invite truth, even at personal cost, is to show courage; to surround oneself with flattery is to court ruin.

Yet Goldwyn’s saying carries a deeper demand: it is not only the leader who must value truth, but the followers who must dare to speak it. To risk one’s position, one’s livelihood, even one’s favor, for the sake of truth is an act of courage. History remembers not those who nodded silently at injustice, but those who raised their voices. When Winston Churchill warned Britain of Nazi aggression, many mocked him, for it was not what they wished to hear. Yet his persistence in truth saved a nation. Thus we see: those who speak the truth, even at great cost, become the guardians of their people.

The lesson is this: if you would lead, surround yourself with those who will speak honestly, not flatter. If you would follow, have the courage to speak truth, even when it threatens your standing. For truth is the lifeblood of every relationship, every household, every community, every nation. Without it, collapse is inevitable. With it, even the most painful realities can be faced, and greatness achieved.

Therefore, O seeker, remember Goldwyn’s wisdom: do not fear truth, and do not despise those who bring it. Cast away flatterers, welcome the honest, and dare to be one who speaks reality even when it costs you dearly. For though lies may comfort in the moment, it is truth alone that endures, guiding the soul, the leader, and the people to triumph that cannot be taken away.