[February 3, 2026] There is an old message from our past, and also profound advice, that says to us, don’t remain silent when you have something to say. We will pay a price for speaking and for not speaking. Therefore, people should speak the truth no matter what.
In a short clip by Dr. Jordan Peterson, he summarizes an important story about Jonah.
“I’ll give you a one-minute summary of the story of Jonah. So Jonah’s just minding his own business, God comes along and says, “You know that city Nineveh? Well, those people have deviated from the straight and narrow, and I’m not very happy, and I’m going to wipe them out. But I’d like you to go there and tell them what they’re doing wrong.” And Jonah thinks there’s no bloody way I’m going to a city of 120,000 people to tell them that they’re wrong. No. So he hops on a boat and goes in the other direction. Well, then the waves rise, and the winds blow, and the ship is threatened. Well, the sailors think there’s someone on board who’se on the outs with God. And Jonah says, “Well, as a matter of fact, I’ve just disobeyed a direct order, and the sailors say, ‘Well, we’ve got to throw you overboard because, otherwise, we’re all gonna die.’ So off the ship they throw him. And right now he’s drowning. That’s pretty bad. He’s drowning, and then that’s not so bad because the next thing that happens is a horrible creature from the darkest part of the abyss comes up and swallows him and takes him down to the bottom. What that means is that if you hold your tongue when you’re called upon to speak, the ship sinks, you drown, and then you wish you had drowned.”
As Dr. Peterson has said often, many of us will see ourselves as just an insignificant dot in a sea of billions of people. And that is one way of looking at the world. That is a convenient conceptualization because it would mean that we have no responsibility, and we can do whatever we want. This is nihilism, but if you don’t have any responsibilities, that is a small price to pay.
The other way of looking at it, and actually the more accurate way, is that we are in a node in a network. We may know a thousand people. They know a thousand people. That means you are one person away from a million people. And two persons away from a billion. You are at the center of that network.
The way networks work is that information propagates across the network. This means we should never underestimate the power of our speech. The power of speech is far greater than we can imagine. That is why we see this as a central theme in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. It is what separates order from chaos.
Don’t underestimate the power of truth. There is nothing more powerful. To speak what you might regard as the truth, you have to let go of the outcome. You have to think, “Okay, I’m going to say what I think. And as stupid and as biased as I am, I am going to state what I think is the truth, and I’m willing to live with the consequences.”
Nothing brings a better world into being than the statement of the truth. And we must recognize that we might have to pay a price for stating the truth, and that is okay. If you’re going to stand up for something, then stand up for the truth. People will tell you that you are a moron, ignorant, and crazy, but if you listen to them, the next time you speak, you will speak better and more truthfully.
If you do this for five years, you will be more articulate, tough, able to communicate, and withstand pressure; you won’t even recognize yourself. Then you’ll be a real force to contend with.
It is not safe to speak. And it never will be. What we should know is that it is even less safe not to speak.
It’s a balance of risks. Do you want to pay the price for being who you are, stating your mode of being? Or, do you want to pay the price for being a serf, one who has enslaved themselves? Over time, if you do not speak up, you will be a nobody, and you will regret that choice. You’ll have no self-respect, no power, no ability to voice your opinions, nothing left but resentment.
Say what you think, and do so carefully, pay attention to your words. It’s a price you want to pay. Truth is the cornerstone of society. Truth is what redeems the world from hell. Wake up and tell the truth.
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This is another classic from Dr. Jordan Peterson and Gen. Doug Satterfield, as they tell us also to adopt the responsibility needed to be good men (and women too). The paragraph at the beginning from Dr. Peterson says it right, and the story of Jonah from the Bible is spot-on. There is nothing like tying in the greatest book ever written, the Bible, to what we see in humans … that’s why Gen. Satterfield calls the Bible underrated, and genius at the same time. Great article on speaking up. Tell the truth always, and let your adventure begin there.
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” — Jonathan Swift
“Half a truth is often a great lie.” — Benjamin Franklin
“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” — Mark Twain
Some of my personal favorites about truth and never remaining silent. But first, and foremost, you must know what the truth actually is, and many of our neighbors would not know the truth if it hit them in the face.
Good quotes mainer. And, yes, too many think they know the truth, but they do not. 😆 Pray for their souls, for they are lost. 🙏
Yeah!!!!! Don’t be silent from the truth.
Such a difference in these blog posts … one of the main reasons I keep coming back here to read what is different from one day to the next. I get to sit down with my coffee in hand and read some great articles. This one is easy and different from all the others, although the Clearing the Spindle has been around for a while.
“Say what you think, and do so carefully, pay attention to your words. It’s a price you want to pay. Truth is the cornerstone of society. Truth is what redeems the world from hell. Wake up and tell the truth.” – Gen. Doug Satterfield. He nailed it.
I hear you, Gen. Satterfield, but the crazy Leftists think the same and are always screaming their thoughts (even though their “thoughts” are the result of propaganda). What the key is, IMHO, is that we MUST know what the TRUTH is in order to say it. Know the truth. Speak the truth, always.
Great point, Adolf. I was thinking this exact same thing. And the nutjobs – those who are the net-Marxists – are truly “screamers.” They talk, but don’t think. They cannot think. There is zero reasoning. There is only emotion. Just watch any video of the anti-ICE protests (the best example I can give). Or just watch any liberal leftist on social media, video or audio. You will see it, plain as day. Avoid these nutjobs. They will drag you down and beat you with their ‘experience,’. Run away from them. They provide zero value, so don’t waster your time. Call them out when possible. But use their emotions back on them. Logic is irrelevant. Empathy is irrelevant. Keep that inn mind. Oh, and be sure to read Gen. Satterfield’s books. They are the best. My favorite is “55 rules for a good life” and you won’t regret taking my advice.