Once during Nasreddin's stay at court, the ruler complained that his subjects were deceitful. Nasreddin said:
- Your Majesty, there are different truths. Before people can use relative truth, they need to practically know real truth. But they always try to do the opposite. As a result, people treat their own artificial truths too unceremoniously, latently feeling that they are nothing more than fiction.
All this seemed too complicated to the ruler:
- Things must be either true or false. I will force people to tell the truth, and through this they will acquire the habit of being truthful.
The next morning, in front of the open city gates, there was a gallows, which was surrounded by the ruler’s soldiers, led by the captain. The herald announced:
“Everyone who enters the city must, first of all, truthfully answer the captain’s question.”
Nasreddin, who was waiting outside, entered the city first. The captain asked:
-Where are you going? Tell the truth, otherwise you will be hanged.
Nasreddin replied:
“I am going to be hanged on this gallows.”
- I don't believe you!
- Wonderful. If I lied, hang me.
“But that will mean that you told the truth.”
“That’s it,” said Nasreddin, “your truth.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru