The truth doesn't hurt unless it ought to.

Hear the sharp wisdom of B. C. Forbes, founder of the great financial journal, who declared: “The truth doesn’t hurt unless it ought to.” In these words we find a piercing revelation: truth itself is not the enemy, nor is it cruel. It is the light that reveals, the mirror that reflects. If it wounds us, it is only because it strikes the very place where we are weak, dishonest, or in need of correction. The pain does not come from the truth, but from our own resistance to it.

The origin of this thought lies in the eternal struggle between pride and reality. Men and women often cloak themselves in illusions, preferring comfort to clarity. But when the veil is torn away and truth shines upon them, the sting they feel is the sting of exposure. Forbes, a man who observed both the rise and fall of fortunes, knew well that people despise truth not because it is harsh, but because it unmasks what they would rather keep hidden.

Consider the story of Socrates, who walked the streets of Athens questioning all he met. Many grew angry at him, for he forced them to confront their ignorance. His questions were not meant to humiliate, but to awaken. Yet the truth he exposed hurt—because it revealed pride without wisdom. It was not the words themselves that caused pain, but the mirror they held before the soul. And for this, the Athenians condemned him. Thus we see that when truth hurts, it is only because it ought to.

Think also of Abraham Lincoln, who in the midst of civil war declared that a nation built upon slavery could not endure. His words cut deeply into the hearts of those who profited from bondage. They cried that his truth was dangerous, divisive, intolerable. But the wound was necessary, for only by facing the reality of injustice could healing and freedom be born. The hurt was great, yet it was righteous, and it led to the liberation of millions.

The lesson here is profound: do not fear the pain of truth, for it is a physician’s hand. Just as a surgeon’s blade cuts only to heal, so too does the wound of honesty prepare the soul for growth. If you feel hurt by truth, ask yourself why. Is it because it has revealed hypocrisy? Is it because it has struck the chains of pride? Then rejoice, for the hurt is a sign that healing is possible.

O children of tomorrow, understand this well: the only ones who need fear truth are those who cling to falsehood. If your life is built upon honesty, then truth will never harm you—it will strengthen, guide, and free you. But if you resist it, then its arrival will feel like fire upon dry straw. Thus, the wise welcome truth even when it burns, for they know the fire consumes only what is unworthy.

Therefore, let your practice be this: when confronted with a painful truth, do not recoil in anger or denial. Sit with it. Let it search your heart. Let it strip away the false, so that only the true remains. And when you must speak truth to others, do so with courage and compassion, knowing that if it wounds, it does so only where it must. In this way, you will live not in fear of truth, but in harmony with it.

Thus remember the saying of Forbes: “The truth doesn’t hurt unless it ought to.” Take this as your shield and your guide. Do not run from what is real. For though it may sting for a season, it is the only path to freedom, honor, and the wholeness of the soul.