I will say this about the truth - that it's one of those crisis

“I will say this about the truth—that it’s one of those crisis rules, whether you are a client or someone who’s living their life just every day—is that the truth has a funny way of not going away, and telling the truth is extremely important in dealing with any problem or crisis.” Thus spoke Judy Smith, the famed crisis manager and counselor of the powerful, whose words echo like a moral compass in the storm of modern chaos. Her wisdom pierces through the noise of excuses and appearances, reminding us that truth—that ancient, unyielding force—is the one ally that never abandons us. In her statement lies not only practical counsel, but a universal law: that truth endures, even when buried, even when denied, until it rises again to demand reckoning.

When Smith says that “the truth has a funny way of not going away,” she speaks of a phenomenon older than kingdoms and courts. For truth is not merely fact—it is a living presence, persistent as the tide, relentless as time. We may cover it with layers of deception, but like a seed beneath stone, it pushes upward, seeking light. History is filled with such moments, when hidden wrongs surfaced despite every effort to conceal them. Truth may sleep, but it does not die. To deny it is to fight the very order of the cosmos, and those who do so inevitably find themselves undone by their own lies.

The origin of Smith’s insight springs from her life’s work in the world of crisis—where deception breeds ruin, and transparency, however painful, restores balance. As a counselor to leaders, politicians, and public figures, she has seen the destruction that falsehood brings. In times of crisis, she teaches, truth is not an ornament, but a weapon—a means of cutting through confusion and regaining control. For in darkness, only the truth illuminates the path forward. Her words carry the weight of both strategy and morality: that one cannot manage crisis without integrity, nor survive turmoil without courage.

The ancients, too, revered this same principle. Solon, the lawgiver of Athens, once declared that no city can stand upon lies. When deceit becomes the foundation, the walls of society crumble from within. And in the mythic tale of Oedipus, truth—however devastating—was the only path to deliverance. The king’s denial of his fate did not spare him; it enslaved him to ignorance. So too, Smith reminds us, in every life and every crisis, avoidance of truth multiplies suffering, while the acceptance of it, though painful, brings clarity, freedom, and healing.

To say that “telling the truth is extremely important in dealing with any problem” is not mere moral preaching—it is practical wisdom. For falsehood delays resolution. It builds fragile illusions that must someday collapse. Those who tell the truth, even when it hurts, gain not only trust but power—the power of alignment between word and reality. The truth clears the field, revealing what must be faced. As Smith implies, in moments of crisis—whether personal or political—the greatest act of strength is not concealment, but confession. To tell the truth is to reclaim authorship of one’s own story.

Consider the example of Abraham Lincoln, who, during the darkest hours of the American Civil War, refused to soften the truth of the nation’s suffering. He spoke plainly of sacrifice, loss, and the cost of freedom. His honesty bound a divided people in shared purpose, for they saw in his truth their own reflection. His leadership teaches the same lesson as Judy Smith’s counsel: that in times of turmoil, truth unites, while lies divide; truth restores dignity, while deceit corrodes the soul.

And so, dear listener, heed this wisdom as a guiding flame: do not flee from truth, for it will follow you wherever you run. Speak it boldly, even when your voice trembles. Let it cut through confusion, for only through truth can wounds begin to heal. Whether you face conflict in your work, your relationships, or within yourself, remember Smith’s sacred rule: the truth will not go away. It waits, patient and inexorable, until it is spoken aloud.

For as Judy Smith reminds us, truth is both burden and blessing, but above all—it is freedom. To tell it is to align yourself with the eternal order of things, the same order that governs stars and storms. Lies decay, but truth endures. Therefore, live truthfully, act truthfully, and let your honesty be your shield in every crisis. For in the end, when the noise fades and the masks fall, it is the truth alone that remains—calm, shining, and unbroken.