Truth never damages a cause that is just.

The words of Mahatma Gandhi—“Truth never damages a cause that is just.”—resound like the tolling of a temple bell, steady and clear, summoning all who hear to remember the eternal bond between truth and justice. In this short phrase, Gandhi reminds us that the path of righteousness has nothing to fear from honesty. Lies may temporarily protect a weak cause, illusions may defend a false one, but a cause that is truly just will only grow stronger under the light of truth. To speak truth, even when it is difficult, cannot wound a righteous mission—it can only refine it, purify it, and make it unshakable.

The origin of this wisdom lies in Gandhi’s own philosophy of satyagraha, the “force of truth.” In India’s struggle for independence, Gandhi rejected violence and falsehood, choosing instead to confront the British Empire with moral clarity and unwavering honesty. He believed that any cause built upon deception would collapse under its own weight, while a cause rooted in truth would endure trials, persecutions, and sacrifices, and yet still triumph. For Gandhi, truth was not merely a virtue—it was the very foundation upon which justice must rest.

The ancients understood this principle as well. In the myths of Greece, the goddess Themis, symbol of justice, was always depicted holding scales, but she was also bound to truth, for justice without truth was seen as corruption. In India’s own tradition, the concept of dharma carried the same force: that righteousness is inseparable from honesty. Wherever a cause strayed from truth, it ceased to be dharmic, and therefore ceased to be just. Gandhi’s words are the modern echo of these timeless teachings, calling us to remember that no lasting good can be born of falsehood.

History offers many lessons to prove this. Consider the abolition of slavery. For centuries, nations justified slavery with lies: that one race was inferior to another, that bondage was natural or even divinely ordained. These lies held power for a time, but when the truth of human equality was spoken boldly—by abolitionists, by the enslaved themselves—the just cause of freedom prevailed. The truth did not damage this cause; it shattered the lies that opposed it. Truth was the ally of justice, and together they transformed the world.

On the other hand, causes rooted in falsehood eventually consume themselves. Consider dictatorships that rise on propaganda and deceit. Their power may seem unshakable for a time, but once truth breaks through—once the people see reality clearly—such regimes crumble. Lies can sustain injustice for a season, but they cannot give it permanence. This is the eternal difference: a just cause thrives in the light of truth, while an unjust one shrinks from it, like darkness fleeing the sunrise.

Yet Gandhi’s words also serve as a warning to us. If we ever fear that the truth will harm our cause, it may be a sign that our cause is not fully just. When we find ourselves tempted to conceal, distort, or manipulate facts to win an argument, we must ask: is our mission truly righteous, or is it flawed by self-interest? Truth is the test, the fire that reveals what is pure and what is false. If our cause is just, it will emerge stronger from that fire; if it is not, then it must be abandoned.

The lesson for us is clear: build your life, your work, your struggles on the foundation of truth. Do not be afraid to admit mistakes, to correct errors, or to reveal uncomfortable realities. For if your cause is just—whether it is the pursuit of justice in society, the defense of family, or the growth of your own soul—truth will not harm it, but help it endure. Therefore, take this action: seek truth daily, speak it boldly, and align your causes with justice. For as Gandhi declared, truth never damages a cause that is just—and only such causes are worthy of your life, your labor, and your legacy.