Talk:speak truth to power

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1942, Bayard Rustin -- In August of that year the (Society of) Friends monthly meeting in Manhattan was considering the possibility of providing hospitality to servicemen – USO style, and Rustin wrote the following: “The primary social function of a religious society is to speak the truth to power.” Rick Riffel (talk) 01:00, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

RFV discussion
Really? Maybe it is a US thing? SemperBlotto (talk) 07:15, 14 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Yes, it's a US (politically liberal) thing, but the usage here bears little resemblance to the nominated definitions. It has much more dramatic, heroic (detractors would say histrionic and melodramatic) overtones: speaking out about injustices and other wrongs in the face of powerful interests that want to protect them, regardless of consequences. Chuck Entz (talk) 07:48, 14 July 2013 (UTC)


 * The phrase originated as the title of a pamphlet made by the Quakers (Society of Friends) in 1955, concerning a Christian view of the Cold War. Since then it has become a vague cliche used by people of many different persuasions--left and right, political and religious, corporate and academic. It needs a solid definition or group of definitions in order to mean something. Rick Riffel (talk) 02:59, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Wiki has definitions for so many phrases, idioms and proverbs, and the definitions are usually objective. Some kind of definition is necessary for "speak truth to power", and "truth to power". I assume the latter can be spoken, heard, conveyed or done with in other ways. I also assume one can hear or see a truth to power where none is intended. Rick Riffel (talk) 22:00, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I put some citations from this millennium on Citations:speak truth to power.
 * Of the two definitions we have, the second ("To reveal facts about an authority or a superior.") is not one I am familiar with and does not fit the citations I've found so far very well.
 * The early rhetorical use of this to dramatize the role of dissident seems to be losing its force as the term is now used to encourage corporate cultures of candor. DCDuring TALK 23:03, 15 July 2013 (UTC)
 * This search for "whistleblower" with the term probably would provide some support for the second sense. DCDuring TALK 23:09, 15 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Passed. The citations page doesn’t mention which sense the citations refer to, so if anyone wants to remove a sense or merge the two, feel free. — Ungoliant (Falai) 13:38, 4 October 2013 (UTC)

RFV discussion: March–April 2020
Rfv-sense 2: "To reveal facts about an authority or a superior." PUC – 11:48, 27 March 2020 (UTC)

RFV-failed Kiwima (talk) 21:11, 27 April 2020 (UTC)