"The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world. Lies will pass into history"

George Orwell’s observation about the disappearance of objective truth and the absorption of lies into the historical record reflects a profound anxiety about the trajectory of society, particularly in relation to manipulation, memory, and the construction of reality. When truth becomes malleable or relative, no longer shared between individuals or communities, fact itself loses its power. Instead, narratives, propaganda, and manufactured realities begin to dominate, making it increasingly difficult for individuals to distinguish between actuality and fabrication.

Orwell’s insight anticipates an age in which authority over information becomes an instrument of control. By shaping or outright inventing the “facts” that find their way into public consciousness and, eventually, the official history, those in power attain the ability to remake the past itself. History ceases to be an impartial record of what occurred and instead becomes the outcome of intentional selection and omission. The process of lies passing into history is subtle; repeated often enough, disseminated through institutions and media, falsehoods take on the status of accepted knowledge. Generations may eventually accept these distortions as reality, unable to access or verify the original truths.

This erosion of objectivity undermines trust, not only in public discourse but within the social fabric. When consensus about reality cannot be reached, dialogue breaks down and society fractures into competing realities, each suspicious of the others. Rational debate, reliant on an agreed-upon foundation of fact, becomes impossible. The fading of objective truth also erodes individual autonomy. People who cannot trust any source are left disoriented, vulnerable to manipulation and despair. Without a compass for discerning truth from fiction, the populace becomes easy to govern and motivate through false promises and invented enemies.

Orwell’s warning is not merely a reflection on authoritarian regimes, but a caution relevant to any context where the integrity of truth is threatened, by technology, ideology, or apathy. The preservation of objective truth remains fundamental to both freedom and authentic historical memory.