Truth, half-truth…and subtle suggestion… – Sunday, April 10, 1960
Last week we talked of greatness and goodness, and of words that are often overworked in magnifying the mediocre. And not only are words often overworked to exaggerate and overemphasize, but often also to deceive by half-truth and by subtle suggestion. A half-truth can in fact obscure the whole truth. A half-truth can effectively suggest a falsehood.
The persistent repeating of half-truths, can, for example, make things that are unwholesome and injurious seem to be desirable, or harmless, by sophistry and suggestion, “If any man seeks for greatness,” said Horace Mann, “let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both.”1 It isn’t glitter or glamour or surface considerations that make for greatness—or for truth. It isn’t necessarily what is popular, or what is fashionable, or what is generally being done. Such things are often merely a surface to cover a shallow or a shoddy substance. Deliberately words are often made to create an image merely for an effect, merely for a front. Sometimes words are used deliberately to create misunderstanding words deliberately contrived to distort and deceive, and to create a false sense of security.
There are some phrases from the Psalms suggestive of this subject; “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.”2 And as it is with words, as it is with ideas, so it must be with products or practices which are urged upon people: They must be honest products or practices, honest in purpose; beneficial in effect. They must be what they are said to be; they must do what they are said to do. Guarantees and agreements must be words of truth and of actual intent. They must meet the final test of fact as to whether or not what they are said to be is or isn’t so.
Beyond words, beyond half-truths, beyond cleverness and concealment and subtle suggestion, we need always the final test of fact as to what is intended, as to what is done, as to what is said, as to what is suggested, as to what is solid and honest as to what actually is or isn’t so. Half-truth or subtle suggestion is never a safe substitute for the whole truth, for the honest, open-faced facts.
1Horace Mann
2Psalm 55:21
“The Spoken Word,” heard over Radio Station KSL and the CBS Radio Network, from the Tabernacle, Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Sunday, April 10, 1960, 11:30 am, to 12:00 noon, Eastern Time. Copyright 1960
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April 10, 1960
Broadcast Number 1,599