Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted."

As interpreted by Ezio Auditore:

To say that nothing is true is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile, and that we must be the shepherds of our own civilization.

To say that everything is permitted, is to understand that we are the architects of our actions, and that we must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic.

The motto was taken from the novel Alamut by Vladimir Bartol, and used as source of inspiration in the Assassin's Creed series.


So what are my own thoughts on this?


“Where other men blindly follow the truth, Remember, nothing is true."

I often see how society pursues the truth and try to spread whatever they found to the general public. What the public does not realize is that sometimes this truth can also be an illusion; a lie fabricated to influence and control them and to rob them of their freedom or common sense. We know of what politicians and rich/powerful people today do when they want to stay in power. Of course in history, they fed people with lies about colored folk, immigrants, and even today's so-called "terrorists," making things sound graver than it actually is. They didn't care if innocent human beings suffered as a result of their actions.


"Where other men are limited by morality or law, Remember, everything is permitted."

The government also makes laws and have almost everyone bound by them. I say "almost" because there's no denying that the rich and powerful can covertly break the laws if it benefits them. If the main purpose of the law is to keep "peace and order," then how is it true peace if the rich people take liberties with the law and get away with it? In this case, it becomes clear that the laws and rules are actually a means to keep the less-rich people in check and, again, rob people of their freedom, to prevent them from becoming rich and influential as them. The rich and powerful treat lesser people like flocks of sheep. Even the police- whose sworn duty is to "promote public safety," can be bribed and corrupted. Democracy's flawed, too.

These facts can make one view that assassinations are favorable course of action, though gruesome it may seem to others. If taking one or a few lives will save and improve the lives of thousands (or millions), it seems a reasonable course of action. But then again, we as society are responsible for our actions and the paths we take that shapes our future; even killing one or more powerful person will leave the thrones vacant for others to take their places.