Illusion

There is no greater virtue than Truth.

All of the strength, knowledge and wisdom in the world are meaningless if Truth is absent.

Falsehoods substitute illusion for reality, and damage those who hear them because their actions become misaligned with reality.

They sing songs that comfort when one needs to act, and songs that foment discord when one needs to keep a level head and calm heart.

Lies ruin the harmony of the world around us. Like viruses they can only exist by multiplying, as more and more lies must be told to keep the truth hidden.

If one lies to a friend… the illusion is more important to them than the friendship.

If one lies to a loved one… the illusion is more important to them than their love.

But by far the most destructive kind of falsehood is the kind it takes a willing party to believe. If someone else lies, that lie can be found out. The record corrected. Truth restored. The wound healed.

The worst falsehood…is to lie to oneself. The illusion is so destructive because the wounded prefer an illusion to healing. Reality itself shatters around them as lie after lie compounds and they soon are swallowed up by them. The longer it goes on… the more painful the realization is… and the harder it is to dig out of the pain.

And regret is as tenacious as truth – and it will have its due, whether in the conscious mind or a far deadlier battlefield…