In Vino Veritas

First, Bacchus is mery, Wine moderately taken maketh men ioyfull; he is also naked; for, in vino veritas: drunkards tell all, and sometimes more then all.

— Abraham Fraunce, The third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch, 1592

In vino veritas is a Latin proverb, translation of a famous saying of the Greek philosopher Zenobio, which literally means: in wine is the truth. The first to take up the Latin version of the proverb was Pliny the Elder: ‘in vino veritas, in Aqua sanitas’, that is ‘in wine there is truth, in water health’.

Ideas, thoughts and opinions are already present in the person, but it is in wine that the veritas comes out: Man says what he thinks and exposes himself with less inhibitory brakes, supporting what he believes. On the contrary, ‘in Aqua sanitas’ indicates that rational decisions are made sober, when one has the lucidity to decide.

It is pertinent to note that wine is not the intoxicant for human beings. Power intoxicates too as does false pride and faulty posturing. It creates a complacency that forces the hidden truth to slip out. It is better to be clean, clear and upfront like water. Not to be intoxicated is a healthy choice.

We must choose to escape the intoxication that comes from pride, prejudice and posturing. These are the traits that lousy politicians display. They think that they can fool all the people all the time. But when they are intoxicated with a false sense of power, they make the truth slip and that leads to a fall from grace.   

Keep off the intoxication, lest in vino veritas

Better to be truly open, like in Aqua sanitas!

~ Pravin K Sabnis