“Courage is to seek the truth and to speak it.”
— Jean Jaurès · 1859 – 1914Source: Speech to the Youth, Albi (1903) · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The line appears in Jaurès’s Discours à la jeunesse, delivered at Albi in 1903.
Understanding the quote
Jaurès casts courage as a civic act: to seek truth and speak it out even when society favors lies. Delivered in Albi in 1903, the line frames honesty as political resistance and ties moral clarity to democratic responsibility.
In the original · French
Le courage, c’est de chercher la vérité et de la dire ; c’est de ne pas subir la loi du mensonge triomphant qui passe, et de ne pas faire écho, de notre âme, de notre bouche et de nos mains aux applaudissements imbéciles et aux huées fanatiques.
The story behind it
Jaurès was assassinated in 1914; his murder turned many of his sentences—especially about peace and truth—into lasting national symbols.
Going further
- The era
- In 1903, during France’s Third Republic, debates over republican education and public conscience were intense.
- The thinking
- Jaurès promoted a practical civic ethic: truth-telling as a habit that keeps politics honest and prevents demagogy.
- Key word
- Civic truth: refusing to bow to public falsehood.
- Who quoted it
- Frequently cited by journalists, educators and politicians when defending press freedom and public debate.
Three challenges to live it
In the app, you pick the one that fits your day, and in the evening you say how it went.
Write a short letter to yourself (200–300 words) naming a difficult truth you've been avoiding and explain why it matters for the community.
Jaurès links courage to civic truth. Writing a letter forces you to name an avoided truth and consider its social consequences.
Reach out today to someone you disagree with and propose a 15-minute exchange to genuinely listen to a difficult truth they hold.
Jaurès praises truth-telling despite pressure. A short, structured dialogue practices both speaking honestly and listening amid disagreement.
Create a simple poster or story-format visual that says “Speaking the truth serves the community” and include a visual element that represents your truth today.
Jaurès frames courage as a public act. Turning a personal truth into an image helps you place it in the shared space, boldly yet simply.
When have you chosen truth over comfort or applause?
Report an error
Does an attribution, a source or a translation look wrong? Tell us: every report is read, and the entry is corrected if needed.