The only passion that guides me is for the truth... I look at

“The only passion that guides me is for the truth… I look at everything from this point of view.” Thus declared Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the revolutionary whose name has become both a banner of defiance and a lightning rod of controversy. His words are not the boast of a man without flaws, but the declaration of one who sought to anchor his life in a single, unshakable foundation: the pursuit of truth. In an age torn by lies of empire, greed, and oppression, Guevara claimed no loyalty to comfort, wealth, or even safety—only to that which was real.

The ancients themselves honored such devotion. The philosopher Diogenes wandered through Athens with a lamp, seeking an honest man. Socrates chose death rather than betray the truth of his conscience. To live by truth is to live without masks, without illusions, without surrender to the temptations of falsehood. Guevara, in his own fiery way, stood in this lineage. For him, truth was not an abstract notion; it was the suffering of the poor, the chains of the oppressed, the injustice written into the order of nations. He judged all things from this lens, and this passion burned like a torch within him.

History shows us the cost of such passion. Consider Galileo Galilei, who looked through his telescope and declared that the Earth was not the center of the cosmos. The truth he saw contradicted the powers of his day, and for it he endured condemnation. Che, too, saw the suffering caused by imperial powers and corrupt systems, and for proclaiming this truth he endured exile, persecution, and death. The passion for truth is never safe; it is a dangerous fire, for it consumes illusions and confronts those who profit from lies.

Yet Guevara’s words also challenge us to look inward. Many claim to love the truth, but their loyalty is divided: they love truth when it flatters them, but despise it when it wounds them. They seek it when it confirms their cause, but abandon it when it convicts their conscience. To live as Che declared—guided only by truth—is to renounce self-deception, to demand honesty in thought and in action, and to weigh all things not by convenience but by reality itself. Few dare to walk so narrow a path.

We can also see this lesson in the life of Abraham Lincoln. In the debates over slavery, Lincoln sought not compromise with falsehood, but alignment with truth. He knew it would divide the nation, that it might destroy him, but he would not turn away. His passion was not for peace at any cost, nor for power, but for what was right. Like Guevara, he looked at everything from this point of view: that truth must be the measure, even when it leads into fire.

Children of tomorrow, learn this wisdom: passions rise and fall—lust, greed, envy, pride—they burn brightly and vanish like smoke. But the passion for truth endures, for it is rooted in eternity. Let this be the flame that guides you. Question what you are told. Test what you believe. Do not seek comfort in illusion, for illusion weakens the soul. Seek instead the hard clarity of truth, even if it wounds, for only then will you walk in strength.

Let your practice be this: each day, ask yourself, “Am I guided by truth, or by convenience? By reality, or by desire?” When you speak, speak honestly. When you act, act in accordance with what is real, not what is easy. When you love, let it be without disguise. For as Che Guevara declared, and as the ancients knew, to be guided by truth alone is to live a life of courage, of integrity, and of unshakable purpose. And though such a life may be costly, it is the only life that leaves behind a legacy that cannot be erased.