It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.

Hear the thundering words of Thomas Paine, the fiery pamphleteer of revolution: “It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.” In this declaration lies a sword that cleaves illusion from reality. For Paine knew that the light of questioning is not the enemy of truth but its ally. What is false recoils when examined; what is real stands unshaken. The cowardice of error is its own undoing, while the steadfastness of truth is its eternal crown.

The origin of these words is rooted in the Age of Reason, when Paine and his contemporaries sought to liberate mankind from superstition and tyranny. He lived in a time when dogmas demanded blind obedience and kings claimed divine right. Against these chains, Paine raised his voice: let all ideas be tested, let every belief face the fire of reason. For if they are true, they will endure. If they are false, let them perish, for no falsehood deserves the loyalty of free men.

Consider the trial of Galileo. When he proclaimed that the earth moved around the sun, the guardians of tradition silenced him, for their doctrine could not survive inquiry. They feared the telescope, they feared the question, they feared the light. Yet their repression proved Paine’s words: it was error, not truth, that trembled before investigation. The sun still rose, the planets still moved, and at last the truth prevailed, shining brighter for having been suppressed.

So too with the abolition of slavery. For centuries, empires defended this cruel practice with arguments of economy, tradition, even scripture. Yet when reformers asked the simple inquiry: “Are not all men created equal?”—the falsehood collapsed under its own weight. The defenders of slavery shrank from debate, knowing their claims could not stand the scrutiny of reason or the conscience of humanity. Again, Paine’s principle was proven: truth does not fear the question; only error does.

The lesson, O children of tomorrow, is this: never fear to ask, never fear to test. If what you hold is true, inquiry will only strengthen it. If it is false, better that it be torn away than clung to in blindness. The noble mind does not tremble before questions; it welcomes them, for it knows that all light only reveals more of reality. To fear inquiry is to confess weakness; to embrace it is to walk in the strength of truth.

Yet beware the comfort of easy answers. Many would rather rest in the sleep of tradition than endure the struggle of questioning. But comfort is not the same as freedom. To be free is to dare to inquire, to examine, to doubt until certainty shines. This path is not for the timid, but for the courageous, for it may strip away illusions long cherished. But what is lost in comfort is gained in clarity, and what is gained in clarity is the foundation of true strength.

Therefore, let your practice be thus: question boldly. Test the words of leaders, test the traditions of your fathers, test even the whispers of your own heart. Hold nothing above inquiry. For Paine has taught us that only error hides in shadows, while truth stands gladly in the sun. By living thus, you will not only free yourself, but help free all mankind from the chains of deception.

Thus remember and carry forward this wisdom: “It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.” Let it be your shield against manipulation, your sword against falsehood, your compass toward wisdom. For the one who loves truth need never fear the question, but only rejoice that each question brings him closer to the eternal light.