Dostoyevsky on the Power of Truth
In the early pages of The Brothers Karamazov we are introduced to a character whom Dostoyevsky uses to express pure spiritual wisdom. Among the most profound and consistent of his teachings is the idea that in order to avoid becoming morally and spiritually blinded, it is imperative to always express the truth to yourself and others––or at least to never consciously practice deceit. Look at this quote,
“Above all, do not lie to yourself. A man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point where he does not discern any truth either in himself or anywhere around him, and thus falls into disrespect towards himself and others. Not respecting anyone, he ceases to love, he gives himself up to passions and coarse pleasures, in order to occupy and amuse himself, and in his vices reaches complete bestiality, and it all comes from lying continually to others and to himself. A man who lies to himself is often the first to take offense. It sometimes feels very good to take offense, doesn’t it? And surely he knows that no one has offended him, and that he himself has invented the offense and told lies just for the beauty of it, that he has exaggerated for the sake of effect, that he has picked on a word and made a mountain out of a pea––he knows all of that, and still he is the first to take offense, he likes feeling offended, it gives him great pleasure, and thus he reaches the point of real hostility.”
Two piercing truths are presented together. First, if you lie to yourself you will lose your ability to see the moral landscape accurately. The consequence of lying to yourself is that you also believe yourself, and become corrupted, warped and blinded. When the world is a blend of gray, nothing is admirable, and so vice and passions rule. Second, when you lie to yourself and begin a downward spiral of enjoying coarse pleasures, disrespect, and bitter conflict, you begin taking offense at anything and everything just for the sake of it. You will, “pick on a word and make a mountain out of a pea.”
Jordan Peterson on the Power of Truth
This piece of wisdom finds itself in Jordan B. Peterson’s 8th rule in his best-selling book 12 Rules For Life, and is central to Dr. Peterson’s philosophy. Peterson consistently stresses the importance of a clean and clear conscience if you are to navigate the treacherous and murky waters of life. Self-deceit and malevolence will destroy you, but virtue will give you the strength to navigate the world without becoming corrupted and miserable.
“The question is, how do you stop yourself from falling prey to a pathologized sense of meaning? And I think one of the answers to that is: don’t lie. Because what you’re hoping is that your nervous system is sufficiently healthy and well programed so that what it reads out to you is reliable. And if you pathologize your psyche by either sins of omission or outright deception you are going to warp that internal structure and it’s not going to read out properly to you, and then your sense of meaning will lead you astray… That’s why there’s a moral element to this, because if you’re going to rely on your sense of meaning, make sure that you don’t pollute the mechanism… Then you can rely on yourself more and more… “Why be virtuous?” that’s the question. It’s so that you can bear the suffering of life without becoming corrupt. It’s practical. It’s practical. There’s nothing more practical than that. Unless you want misery––and people do! It’s exciting.” [Source]
So if Peterson learned this as a student of Dostoyevsky, and Dostoyevsky learned this as a student of Christianity, where can the source of this wisdom be traced? Jesus articulated this life-changing maxim first, and it turns out there is a vital element that has been left aside by Dostoyevsky and Peterson.
Jesus Christ on the Power of Truth
In his Gospel, John records a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees which resulted in some Jews believing in him. I will allow the text to speak for itself, beginning in John 8:31,
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered him, ‘We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free?’’
Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
The oft quoted, “The truth will set you free” is actually in reference to something specific. Jesus is referring to freedom from sin (the religious term for evil, malevolence, moral corruption, wrongdoing, etc). What Jesus is actually saying is this: If you dwell on my teachings, you are truly my disciple. If you are my disciple, you will know truth, and the truth will free you from sin.
Now the question becomes this: what truth are we talking about? The answer is clear, according to Jesus. For Jesus, the truth that sets you free from sin is the identity of Christ and the reality of your bondage to sin.
According to Jesus, you are bound and enslaved by sin, which is a constant desire to do evil. The only escape from this bondage is understanding who Christ is. We see this in the rest of the discourse. The Pharisees tell Jesus, “Abraham is our father!” to which Jesus replies,
“If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did… You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.”
Finally, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Pharisees are outraged at this, and point out that Abraham, Moses, and all of the fathers have died. Jesus then says, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” The Jews are then completely flabbergasted that Jesus would say he knows Abraham, and are convinced he is demon possessed. Jesus responds, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” This is a direct allusion to how God refers to himself when speaking to Moses in the Old Testament. This is a claim to deity. The Jews understood that and attempted to stone him for blasphemy.
The takeaway is this: Jesus says that if you learn from his teachings, you will know He is God. If you know He is God, you can be freed from the corrupting force of your sin, and he can bring the forgiveness and redemption you need.
In his words, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Conclusion
Peterson understands the practical connection between truth and virtue quite clearly, and he sees the tangled web of sin and misery that is created when people lie to themselves and others. He says that if you don’t lie, you won’t stumble into sin, and will therefore be stronger and wiser. Virtue will keep you from becoming bitter, vengeful and miserable in response to suffering.
Dostoyevsky also sees the bottomless pit that people fall into by lying to themselves. By neglecting the truth, people fall into disarray, sin, and eventually become pathetic husks, offended at everything and spiteful towards everyone.
Only Jesus, however, has taught the deepest truth there is to know in this vein of inquiry. If you practice sin, you are a slave to sin, and there is only one way to be set free. The truth of knowing Jesus as God who acts on your behalf––deliverer of grace and truth. You must understand that Jesus is the personification of truth, and he has brought forgiveness for your moral crimes as well as a path to redemption through becoming his disciple. That is the true meaning of the phrase, “the truth will set you free.”
The practical and existential benefits of virtue and truth-telling are self evident. The spiritual and moral value, however, are only clear in light of Jesus’ teaching. Sin has you in bondage, and becoming a disciple of Jesus gives you a path towards redemption and freedom because he is a God of grace and truth.