I chose this title because truth isn’t recovered simply by imposing it through rules, data, or discourse. We need to rediscover it as something beautiful, liberating, and humanizing. It’s not enough to defend it: we must experience that living in accordance with it is worthwhile.

Perhaps the key lies in discovering that truth can present itself not as something that simply corrects us, but as something that liberates us. To do this, we need to cultivate certain personal dispositions.

First and foremost , humility , to recognize that we can be wrong. A society incapable of admitting its mistakes ends up trapped in its own narratives, however convincing they may seem.

Secondly, curiosity , to try to understand reality before judging it or taking sides. Seeking the truth requires being willing to listen, ask questions, and compare information, even when what we discover challenges our convictions.

Third, silence , because finding the truth requires pausing and thinking. We are constantly exposed to opinions, headlines, videos, and messages that distract us and don’t always help us understand reality. Without spaces for silence and reflection, it’s difficult to distinguish what is true from what is merely eye-catching.

Fourth, courage : to acknowledge that our party may have made mistakes, that our company may have acted wrongly, that our family may not be as we imagined, or that we ourselves have made poor decisions. Choosing the truth comes at a price, because it sometimes forces us to relinquish certainties, privileges, or idealized images of ourselves.

Finally, acceptance of reality , to learn to prefer things as they are to what we would like them to be. It’s not about giving up on transforming the world, but about understanding that we can only improve it if we start from what actually happens.

I am convinced that truth, when known, is destined to become life itself. Therefore, I would like to address some questions that will help us understand in which areas we need to reclaim it, what benefits it can bring to our lives, and why it is worthwhile to be drawn to it.

In what areas do we need to recover the truth?

In practically all cases, although some are especially important.

In politics, the media, and social networks , we need to prioritize fidelity to reality over partisan, economic, or personal interests. In politics, a sign of honesty would be to acknowledge that an opponent’s proposal is correct or that our own party has made a mistake. However, this attitude remains uncommon.

The media should help us understand the world, not simply provoke outrage, fuel fear, or reinforce biased interpretations. And on social media, where exaggeration and confrontation can easily spread, we need to learn to verify before sharing. An emotionally appealing lie can spread much faster than a complex truth.

Therefore, in addition to demanding honesty from those who report the news, we need citizens capable of distinguishing facts from opinions, verifying information, and correcting mistakes. Democracy doesn’t require everyone to think alike, but rather that we can disagree without abandoning our shared understanding of reality.

Education is another fundamental area. Educating should not only consist of preparing for employment, but also of teaching people to think: What is true? How can I discover it? What prejudices condition my perspective? How can I recognize when I’ve made a mistake? A democratic society needs intellectually free citizens, not just informed ones.

The economy also has an ethical dimension. Companies and institutions should ask themselves not only how much they can earn, but what value they contribute, how they meet needs, and how they treat people. Truth demands acknowledging the real consequences of decisions, without hiding them behind seemingly impeccable rhetoric.

Finally, the closest sphere is that of family and personal relationships . Telling the truth doesn’t mean expressing everything we think in any old way, but rather building relationships in which we can be authentic, acknowledge our mistakes, and speak sincerely, without sacrificing respect. A friendship based on appearances rarely achieves true intimacy; a family incapable of admitting its errors can end up accumulating silences and resentment. When expressed with love and respect, the truth doesn’t have to destroy bonds: it can become the condition for them to mature and strengthen.

Would we be happier?

Probably so, though not always immediately. Discovering we were wrong, accepting a breakup, or admitting that an idea we championed was false can hurt. However, the truth allows us to live in accordance with reality and stop wasting energy maintaining a false image of ourselves or the world.

Perhaps one of the deepest forms of happiness is coherence: that peace that arises when what we think, say, and do begin to align. Lying may provide immediate relief, but maintaining it usually requires exhausting effort.

The truth does not guarantee a life without pain, but it can help us live a less divided life.

Would it improve the common good?

Yes, because the common good requires a shared understanding of reality. When we acknowledge that a problem exists, we can disagree about its causes and solutions. But if we don’t even agree on the facts, dialogue becomes extraordinarily difficult.

The truth doesn’t eliminate conflicts, but it allows us to address them through arguments that can be tested, ensuring that collective decisions don’t depend solely on prejudices or self-interest. And that possibility is essential for the common good.

Would the search for truth make us freer?

The truth limits us, but precisely for that reason it also liberates us. Reality imposes limits on our desires, but recognizing them allows us to act effectively: a doctor who accepts the existence of a disease can treat it; a person who recognizes their limitations can begin to grow.

Trying to constantly adapt reality to our desires becomes exhausting because it demands a constant effort to maintain a fiction. Freedom doesn’t consist of deciding what is true according to our interests, but in acting responsibly based on what is.

Is the great challenge to move from “ being right ” to “ seeking the truth ” ?

I believe this is one of the keys to our time. Being right often means winning an argument. Seeking the truth implies being willing to modify our arguments, even when that means acknowledging that the other person was right.

A society obsessed with being right ends up becoming polarized, because every disagreement becomes a threat. A society that seeks the truth can also have profound disagreements, but it retains the ability to recognize the other as an interlocutor and to learn from them.

Therefore, true cultural transformation may not consist of getting everyone to think alike, but rather in making us genuinely care about what is true. We need to regain the willingness to listen, compare, correct, and recognize that no person or group exclusively possesses the truth.

As the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas reminds us : “(…) truth is a common good and not the property of those who have power or visibility” (Leo XIV, 2026). If we were able to embrace this idea, we could speak of a kind of rebirth of the common good, that is, of a society where truth, freedom, responsibility, trust, and coexistence would once again be closely linked.

We must maintain hope. We don’t need to wait for all of society to rediscover its love for the truth before we begin to live in accordance with it. Each of us can do so through our daily decisions, our personal relationships, our way of staying informed, and our engagement in public life.

We can also help make the truth attractive again, not by arrogantly imposing it, but by showing, through our way of life, that it is worth seeking and embracing.

Perhaps allowing ourselves to be seduced by the truth consists precisely in discovering through experience that it doesn’t diminish our lives, but rather makes them freer, more authentic, and more coherent. And that, although it isn’t always the easiest path, it can be one of the most fruitful for our happiness and for the well-being of all.