Truth is a thing immortal and perpetual, and it gives to us a

Hear, O children of light and seekers of wisdom, the words of Frank Norris, who declared: “Truth is a thing immortal and perpetual, and it gives to us a beauty that fades not away in time.” These words stand as a monument against the passing of years, reminding us that while flesh withers and gold tarnishes, truth endures. It is not chained by death, nor eroded by centuries. It is eternal, shining with a brilliance that does not dim. And in this unchanging nature of truth lies a beauty beyond all mortal adornments, a radiance untouchable by decay.

The meaning is clear: all things born of earth are fleeting. The rose withers, the voice grows silent, the face of youth loses its glow. Yet truth, once spoken, once revealed, remains. It outlives the speaker, it outlasts the stone, it endures beyond empires. Even when denied, hidden, or mocked, it does not perish. For truth is not of man’s making, but of eternal order—it is the breath of the divine woven into the fabric of creation. Those who cling to truth become part of its immortality, crowned with a beauty that no wrinkle or ruin can erase.

Consider the story of Socrates, condemned to death by his city for daring to speak truths that challenged their pride. Though his body was destroyed by poison, his words lived on, immortal in the writings of his disciples. The beauty of his steadfast devotion to truth shines brighter now than the statues of his accusers, long crumbled to dust. Here is Norris’s wisdom made flesh: the truth Socrates spoke could not be silenced by time, nor by death—it became a flame lighting the minds of generations.

So too with Abraham Lincoln, who in the darkness of civil war declared that a nation “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” could not endure half slave and half free. His body fell to an assassin’s bullet, but his words live on, immortal as truth itself. The beauty of his conviction continues to inspire, while the lies of those who opposed him are forgotten in shame. This is the eternal gift of truth: it is the beauty that never fades.

The origin of Norris’s saying is rooted in the eternal human longing for permanence in a world of change. Men and women seek youth, riches, and glory, only to find them slipping away. Norris reminds us that only in truth do we find what is “immortal and perpetual.” It is not outward beauty, but the beauty of sincerity, justice, and integrity that outlives the ages. To speak truth is to plant a seed in the soil of eternity, a seed that will bloom long after the sower has gone.

The lesson is plain: build your life not on appearances, which fade, nor on lies, which crumble, but on truth, which endures. Do not fear that truth may be unpopular or costly, for though it may bring hardship, it also brings immortality. Lies glitter like glass, but truth gleams like diamond—imperishable, unbreakable, shining forever. He who walks with truth may suffer for a moment, but his legacy is eternal.

Practically, this means living with integrity in small things and great. Speak honestly, even when silence would be easier. Defend the weak, even when power is against you. Pursue justice, even when it costs you comfort. These choices, though difficult, shape a beauty in your soul that cannot fade. They bind you to the immortal fabric of truth, so that your life, though mortal, bears fruit beyond your years.

So, O listeners, carry Frank Norris’s wisdom with you: truth is immortal and perpetual, and it grants a beauty untouched by time. Seek it, live it, guard it, and let it shine through you. For when your days are gone and your face is forgotten, your truth will remain, eternal, radiant, and indestructible—like a star that guides the way for generations yet unborn.

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