Richard Wright on Truth

Richard Wright (1908-1960) was an American author who is best known for his novels Black Boy and Native Son.  The former is an autobiographical novel detailing his hard life growing up as a black boy in Mississippi in the early 20th century and eventually moving north to Chicago in the 1920's.  Much of his work contributed to the growing sense of awareness of the plight of African-Americans in post-Civil-War America and the urgency and anger than helped to fuel the Civil Rights movement.  Here are some interesting things he says about truth that I came across today:

I have found that to tell the truth is the hardest thing on earth.  

Harder than fighting in a war, harder than taking part in a revolution.  

If you try it, you will find that at times sweat will break upon you.  You will find that even if you succeed in discounting the attitudes of others to you and your life, you must wrestle with yourself most of all.  Fight with yourself.  Because there will surge up in you a strong desire to alter facts, to dress up your feelings.  You will find there are many things about yourself you don't want to admit about yourself and others.

As your record shapes itself, an awed wonder haunts you.  

And yet there is no more exciting an adventure than trying to be honest in this way.  

The clean, strong feeling that sweeps you when you've done it makes you know that.

Peace to you all.

SM