“Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky

This passage from the novel The Brothers Karamazov shows the saintly Father Zosima urging the self-indulgent character Fyodor Pavlovich to be truthful, first and foremost, with himself. This idea that honesty begins within the individual can be found in ancient and modern wisdom literature, ranging from the the Psalmist’s praise for those who speak truth in their heart to cognitive behavioral therapy interventions to help individuals recognize distorted thinking and internalize more realistic perceptions.

How many of our social dysfunctions could be ameliorated if we were all a little more committed to “truth in the inward being,” as Psalm 56 puts it? (from a Trinity Forum newsletter)