T.O. Illustratio Shares A Story Of  Advocates For Truth Taking Their Place

(Editor's note about the author: T.O. Illustratio is a free lance writer and observer of the interaction of personalities in everyday life. The author seeks to inspire readers to look within themselves to see how much good they can do in this world when a definitive purpose in life is clear.)

The auditorium crackled with the electricity of high expectations. The most recent graduating class from the Academy of Advocates for Truth has heard of the commencement speaker that would walk to the podium soon. Their instructors had quoted the speaker's lessons and had offered countless affirmations of what they had all learned from so many years of experiences the speaker had acquired in the field asking deep truth questions.

Now it would be their turn to move out into the world to continue the effort to seek truth, to bring that truth to light, and to use the same truth to bridge the enormous gaps that divide people. That they would get to hear from this icon in the mission of developing advocates for truth was a huge bonus.

The commencement speaker hadn't given this type of address from many years, instead giving the microphone to those who had been mentored to continue the work. But today, that would change. Today history would roll back and this graduating class would get to hear from the best. And now it was time.

The Commencement Address for The Advocates for Truth

After the obligatory and overly long introduction, those gathered in attendance; graduates, family and friends, all settled down to listen intently.

"Welcome to all of you. I can remember sitting in a chair many years ago, although not in a room as nice as this one, having completed my own litany of studies that I fully expected would prepare me to go out into the world to be an accomplished advocate for truth.

How could I fail? All my classes went exceedingly well. I wasn't afraid to engage people who didn't know me and I had a burning desire to be part of something bigger than myself. 'This would be easy,' was my utterly rose-colored- glasses expectation. I will give you the secret to success in your endeavors. It will seem easy, but that is an illusion. First, you get to hear some hard facts.

I would like you took look around this room. Look to your left and to your right. Those of you on the end, look either forward or backward. You must recognize this fact. One out of three of you will leave this calling that asks you to search for truth. Another of you will fade out of the work. You won't quit altogether, but you will also not be involved in any positive effort.

Are you shocked? Is this not quite the rousing cheerleader commencement speech you expected? Fear not, for there is a good end to my story. For I was all three of those people. I too, was filled with excitement and determination. And then, I too faded back into the shadows, not quite out of it, but not at all in the work. And then, I quit. Some of you appear shocked? They didn't tell you that I quit?

This is the ugly truth about the search for veracity. It is very hard. There are well-oiled machines designed to distort truth for financial gain. They haven't the slightest compunction against utilizing full-blown dishonesty in search of their profit and power. They are experts in manipulating people into believing their lies. And that will wear down even the most dedicated among the advocates for truth.

That was what deflated me. I felt as though I was like the proverbial whisper in a wind storm. No one was hearing my message. So I quit. It wasn't all that hard. And then something happened. Someone I had mentored years before asked me why I began this quest in the first place? Why indeed? It wasn't for monetary gain because there isn't any of that. It wasn't for fame. Fame is fleeting and of little value.

You see, the most important tool in your arsenal is asking deep truth questions. And then becoming very quiet as you listen for the answers. I taught that concept. And then I was saved by the same tactic. When I thought about why I began; because I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself and I wanted to help make things better, I was led back into the mission.

Now you know, before you ever leave this room, that your quest to lead people to act on truth, your desire to help solve major division in this country through honest dialogue, will be difficult and you will want to quit. So go ahead and quit. And then think about why you started and quit on the quitting.

All of the most difficult, most heart-wrenching arguments among us can be solved by first recognizing the fundamental facts of those subjects. In every case, there are certain absolute facts. The reason we have such acrimony and malice is because those absolute facts have been distorted for personal gain. Stirring deep emotions through fear is the easiest way to move people off those absolute, fundamental facts and replace truth with rumor and deceit.

You must realize, my neophyte advocates for truth, the legions using deceit and fear don't need to convince everyone of their dishonest discourse. They only need to make the debate so wearisome as to lead people to give up discussion and just acquiesce to the evil direction of the dishonest agenda. They only need us to give up.

Your mission therefore is two-fold. Never forget that you as advocates for truth are working diligently to create authentic dialogue to lead people to those fundamental truths. Then we can work on how to achieve consensus on how best to utilize that fundamental truth to serve the common good. This won't be an easy task.

It will at times, seem insurmountable to get people to stop yelling, to step back, and to just think. Those fundamental facts that are present at the base of every disagreement are obvious when the smoke clears, but totally hidden, unrecognizable when cloaked in the morass of fear, anger and distrust. Those three weapons, fear, anger, and mistrust are tools of the trade for your opponents. They are skilled and they are resolute in their strategy.

But you can defeat them. History has never been kind to people who try to decide who should live and who is expendable and not worthy of living. That history is possible because soldiers for truth who came before you, who shared the same anxiety as you, and the same human failings as you, pushed past all of that and stayed the course. Or in some cases, as with this humble orator, veered off and then returned.

This will be hard. It will be exhausting. And it will be so worth it. All of you advocates for truth will be part of something bigger than yourselves and you will help make things better.

Every major debate has at it's core one sentence of fact. Your job is to lead people to that fact. I wish you the best, just as I was wished the same so many years ago. I wouldn't trade anything, not even the very painful experiences, for anything else in this world. It all made me grow as a person in a way that wouldn't have happened had I accepted the more traveled path that avoided all hardships and challenges.

Seek those deep truth questions. It's your time now."

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