quotations about lies and lying
All my life I have lied. I lied to escape, I lied to be loved, I lied for placement and power; I lied to lie. It was a way of living; lies are life's almost-anagram.
JOHN BANVILLE
Shroud
A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar.
MARK TWAIN
attributed, Mark Twain and I
A liar is a man who does now know how to deceive, a flatterer one who only deceives fools: he who knows how to make skilful use of the truth, and understands its eloquence, can alone pride himself in cleverness.
LUC DE CLAPIERS, MARQUIS DE VAUVENARGUES
Reflections and Maxims
A lie has no legs, and cannot stand; but it has wings, and can fly far and wide.
CHINESE PROVERB
A small lie, if it actually is a lie, condemns a man as much as a big and black falsehood. If a man will deliberately cheat to the amount of a single cent, give him opportunity and he would cheat to any amount.
E. H. CHAPIN
Living Words
If a man will stand up and assert, and repeat and reassert, that two and two do not make four, I know nothing in the power of argument that can stop him.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
speech at Peoria, Illinois, in reply to Senator Douglas, October 16, 1854
The wickedness of lying consists in its perverting one of the greatest blessings of God, the use of speech; in making that a mischief to mankind which was intended for a benefit. Truth is the greatest bond of society. If one man lies, why may not another? And if there is no mutual trust, there is an end of all intercourse.
W. GILPIN
attributed, Musings About Men
Lying is sometimes acted, insinuated, or implied, in a manner as injurious and shameful as when the falsehood is spoken outright.
ELIAS LYMAN MAGOON
Proverbs for the People
The slickest way in the world to lie is to tell the right amount of truth at the right time--and then shut up.
ROBERT A. HEINLEIN
Stranger in a Strange Land
An equivocation is nearly related to a lie. It is an intention to deceive under words of a double meaning, or words which, literally speaking, are true; and is equally criminal with the most downright breach of truth. A nod or a sign may convey a lie as effectually as the most deceitful language.
W. GILPIN
attributed, Musings About Men
We cannot teach children the danger of telling lies to men without realising, on the man's part, the danger of telling lies to children. A single untruth on the part of the master will destroy the results of his education.
JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU
Emile
Lying increases the creative faculties, expands the ego, and lessens the frictions of social contacts.
CLARE BOOTHE LUCE
attributed, Shameless Liar's Guide
Men are liars. We'll lie about lying if we have to. I'm an algebra liar. I figure two good lies make a positive.
TIM ALLEN
attributed, Land Your Dream Job
Truth travels slowly and gets weaker as it goes. Suitable lies are strong and run faster.
ARIANA FRANKLIN
Mistress of the Art of Death
One lie must be thatched with another, or it will soon rain through.
JOHN OWEN
The Sermons of John Owen
The most intangible, and therefore the worst, kind of lie is a half truth. This is the peculiar device of a conscientious detractor.
WASHINGTON ALLSTON
Lectures on Art and Poems
A new study found that most people can't go 10 minutes without lying. But since the study took 20 minutes nobody knows what to believe.
JIMMY FALLON
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, May 8, 2012
A lie is like a snow-ball; the longer it is rolled, the larger it is.
MARTIN LUTHER
Watchwords for the Warfare of Life
One of the things cops learn first is that everyone lies. Some people to hide things, some people just for the hell of it, but everyone lies. Assume that everyone is hiding something, it saves time.
LAURELL K. HAMILTON
The Killing Dance
His lies were so exquisite I almost wept.
DAVE EGGERS
What is the What