The belief that there is only one truth, and that oneself is in

Hear the solemn wisdom of Max Born, the physicist who gazed into the mysteries of quantum reality and also into the soul of mankind: “The belief that there is only one truth, and that oneself is in possession of it, is the root of all evil in the world.” These words carry not the weight of idle philosophy, but the burden of history. For Born lived through an age when false certainties were exalted, when nations were driven to war and millions perished beneath the banners of those who claimed sole mastery of truth. His declaration is a warning carved into the stone of time: beware of pride that claims monopoly over reality, for from it springs cruelty, oppression, and the undoing of civilizations.

Reflect upon the meaning. The human heart hungers for certainty, yet when it seizes upon one rigid truth and declares all others false, it builds a prison of arrogance. Within that prison, dialogue dies, compassion fades, and violence rises. To believe that one’s vision alone is the whole of reality is to blind oneself deliberately, to refuse the vastness of existence, and to wield one’s partial sight as a weapon against others. Thus, the claim to absolute possession of truth becomes not light but shadow, not strength but poison.

History bears grim witness. Consider the Inquisition of medieval Europe, when men, convinced that their doctrine was the sole vessel of truth, burned others at the stake for heresy. They believed themselves righteous, but their certainty bred evil, silencing voices that might have enriched humanity’s understanding. In their quest to preserve one truth, they extinguished countless sparks of thought and faith. What was lost? Not only lives, but possibilities—paths of wisdom that might have led to peace and progress.

Or look to the 20th century, when fascism and totalitarian communism rose like dark storms. Each claimed to hold the only truth about man, society, and destiny. Under those banners, entire nations marched, convinced of their absolute righteousness. Yet the fruits of such certainty were war, gulags, genocide, and devastation. Millions perished because leaders declared: “We alone know the way.” Born, who saw the rise of Nazism and the ruin it wrought upon his homeland, understood firsthand how the arrogance of absolute truth becomes the root of unspeakable evil.

Yet take heart, for this teaching is not despair, but guidance. If arrogance destroys, humility saves. To confess that our knowledge is partial, that our vision is limited, is not weakness but wisdom. The universe itself, as Born revealed in his studies, is woven of probabilities, uncertainties, and mysteries yet untold. If the cosmos leaves room for wonder, should not mankind leave room for differing perspectives? True strength lies not in claiming sole possession of truth, but in seeking it together, fragment by fragment, with open hands and open hearts.

The lesson, O seekers of wisdom, is clear. Do not harden yourselves with the pride of singular certainty. Listen to others, even when they differ, for their fragment of truth may complete your own. Engage in dialogue, seek common ground, and let humility be the foundation of your quest. To believe that you hold the one and only truth is to sow division; to recognize the many lights of truth is to weave harmony.

Therefore, in your daily life, practice the art of listening more than you speak. Welcome questions, even when they unsettle you. Beware of any voice—your own or another’s—that proclaims sole mastery of wisdom. Instead, walk the path of seekers, not conquerors, for seekers build bridges where conquerors build prisons. In this way, you shall guard yourselves and your world against the evil born of arrogance, and instead cultivate a garden where many truths may grow together.

Thus, remember the words of Max Born: that the arrogance of one exclusive truth is the seed of destruction, but humility before the vastness of reality is the seed of peace. Hold fast to this, and you shall become not the oppressors of mankind, but its healers, its builders, and its guides into the light of a wiser age.