quotations about lies and lying
A false tale often betrays itself.
AESOP
"The Fox and the Monkey", Aesop's Fables
The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him.
FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY
The Brothers Karamazov
Lying is done with words, and also with silence.
ADRIENNE RICH
Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying
You shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
BIBLE
Leviticus 19:11
The essence of a lie is the intention to deceive.
M. PRIDEAUX
attributed, Day's Collacon
Understand that the tongue can conceal the truth, but the eyes--never!
MIKHAIL BULGAKOV
The Master and Margarita
A liar begins with making falsehood appear like truth, and ends with making truth itself appear like falsehood.
WILLIAM SHENSTONE
Essays on Men and Manners
A lie may take care of the present, but it has no future.
CROFT M. PENTZ
The Complete Book of Zingers
Lying is a sin destructive to society; for there is no trade where there is no trust, and there is no trust where there is no truth.
WELLINS CALCOTT
Thoughts Moral and Divine
The most mischievous liars are those who keep on the verge of truth.
ELIZA COOK
Diamond Dust
Lies are like sleeping pills. You should only use them when you absolutely have to. They spoil everything if you make a habit of them.
DANIEL QUINN
The Holy
A recent study found that people lie more when they are texting. Yeah, especially that one lie: "Sorry, just got your text!"
JIMMY FALLON
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Feb. 7, 2012
A good liar knows that the most efficient lie is always a truth that has had a key piece removed from it.
CARLOS RUIZ ZAFON
The Prisoner of Heaven
There is no worse lie than a truth misunderstood by those who hear it.
WILLIAM JAMES
Lectures XIV and XV, "The Value of Saintliness", The Varieties of Religious Experience
A liar will not be believed even when he speaks the truth.
AESOP
Aesop's Fables
Truthful lips endure forever, the lying tongue, for only a moment.
BIBLE
Proverbs 12:19
Never argue with someone who believes their own lies.
ANONYMOUS
The liar suffers twice: he neither believes nor is believed.
BALTASAR GRACIAN
The Art of Worldly Wisdom
Ask no questions and you'll hear no lies.
JAMES JOYCE
Ulysses
Lying is easy. But it's lonely.
VICTORIA SCHWAB
The Archived