This has been attributed to Orwell on the internet, but the earliest source citing him as author appears to be a post from Jsnip4 on the RealistNews.net forum (15 February 2011). Prior to this, the statement occurred, without attribution to Orwell, in an opinion piece by columnist Selwyn Duke, "Stopping Truth At The Border: Banning Michael Savage From Britain" (6 May 2009).
“
The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.
— George Orwell
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." in the context of "This has been attributed to Orwell on the internet, but the earliest source citing him as author appears to be a post from Jsnip4 on the RealistNews.net forum (15 February 2011). Prior to this, the statement occurred, without attribution to Orwell, in an opinion piece by columnist Selwyn Duke, "Stopping Truth At The Border: Banning Michael Savage From Britain" (6 May 2009)." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "George Orwell" (Misattributed)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 28, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About George Orwell
George Orwell (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was the pen name of British novelist, essayist, and journalist Eric Arthur Blair, whose work is characterised by lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism, and strong support of democratic socialism.
About George Orwell
George Orwell (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was the pen name of British novelist, essayist, and journalist Eric Arthur Blair, whose work is characterised by lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism, and strong support of democratic socialism.
View all quotes →