Beware of the half truth. You may have gotten hold of the wrong half.
—Anonymous
It is impossible to calculate the moral mischief, if I may so express it, that mental lying has produced in society. When a man has so far corrupted and prostituted the chastity of his mind as to subscribe his professional belief to things he does not believe he has prepared himself for the commission of every other crime.
—Thomas Paine (1737–1809) American Nationalist, Author, Pamphleteer, Radical, Inventor
Some persons are likable in spite of their unswerving integrity.
—Don Marquis (1878–1937) American Humorist, Journalist, Author
I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an “Honest Man.”
—George Washington (1732–99) American Head of State, Military Leader
Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.
—Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic
What’s terrible is to pretend that the second-rate is first-rate. To pretend that you don’t need love when you do; or you like your work when you know quite well you’re capable of better.
—Doris Lessing (1919–2013) British Novelist, Poet
A thread will tie an honest man better than a chain a rogue.
—Scottish Proverb
An honest man’s word is as good as his bonds.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
There’s one way to find out if a man is honest – ask him. If he says, “Yes,” you know he is a crook.
—Groucho Marx (1890–1977) American Actor, Comedian, Singer
Prefer a loss to dishonest gain; the one brings pain at the moment, the other for all time.
—Chilon of Sparta (c.556 BCE) Spartan Magistrate
Honesty is something you can’t wear out
—Waylon Jennings (1937–2002) American Country Music Singer, Songwriter
When you accept yourself completely you do not have to maintain a phony front, drive yourself to “achieve” or feel insecure if people tune-in to you and what you are doing.
—Ken Keyes Jr. (1921–95) American Personal Growth Author
Refined policy has ever been the parent of confusion, and ever will be so, as long as the world endures. Plain good intention, which is as easily discovered at the first view as fraud is surely detected at last, is of no mean force in the government of mankind. Genuine simplicity of heart is a healing and cementing principle.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
Some so speak in exaggerations and superlatives that we need to make a large discount from their statements before we can come at their real meaning.
—Tryon Edwards American Theologian
Whatever games are played with us, we must play no games with ourselves, but deal in our privacy with the last honesty and truth.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
Honesty of thought and speech and written word is a jewel, and they who curb prejudice and seek honorably to know and speak the truth are the only builders of a better life.
—John Galsworthy (1867–1933) English Novelist, Playwright
Almost any difficulty will move in the face of honesty. When I am honest I never feel stupid. And when I am honest I am automatically humble.
—Hugh Prather (b.1938) American Christian Author, Minister, Counselor
Always tell the truth. If you can’t always tell the truth, don’t lie.
—Unknown
True honor is to honesty what the court of chancery is to common law.
—William Shenstone (1714–63) British Poet, Landscape Gardener
Honesty is as much saying everything as it is saying what is true.
—Indian Proverb
Honesty is as rare as a man without self-pity.
—Stephen Vincent Benet (1898–1943) American Poet
A truth that’s told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
The confession of our failings is a thankless office. It savors less of sincerity or modesty than of ostentation. It seems as if we thought our weaknesses as good as other people’s virtues.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
On this mounting the scaffold to be beheaded: “I pray you Master Lieutenant, see me safely up, and for my coming down, let me shift for myself.” To the executioner: “Pick up thy spirits, Man, and be not afraid to do thy office; my neck is very short; take heed, therefore thou strike not awry, for saving of thy honesty.”
—Unknown
Don’t accept that others know you better than yourself. Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results.
—James Allen (1864–1912) British Philosophical Writer
Money dishonestly acquired is never worth its cost, while a good conscience never costs as much as it is worth.
—Jean Antoine Petit-Senn (1792–1870) Swiss Poet
The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.
—Augustine of Hippo (354–430) Roman-African Christian Philosopher
We only confess our little faults to persuade people that we have no big ones.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
To measure the man, measure his heart.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
An honest man is the best thing on the sod; but a mother and her babe is the noblest work of God.
—Unknown
From such crooked wood as that which man is made of, nothing straight can be fashioned.
—Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) Prussian German Philosopher, Logician
It is a fine thing to be honest, but it is also very important to be right.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
To live outside the law, you must be honest.
—Bob Dylan (b.1941) American Singer-songwriter
Honesty is the rarest wealth anyone can possess, and yet all the honesty in the world ain’t lawful tender for a loaf of bread.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
He who freely praises what he means to purchase, and he who enumerates the faults of what he means to sell, may set up a partnership with honesty.
—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801) Swiss Theologian, Poet
Confess you were wrong yesterday; it will show you are wise today.
—Common Proverb
A man’s very highest moment is, I have no doubt at all, when he kneels in the dust, and beats his breast, and tells all the sins of his life.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
It is not without good reason said, that he who has not a good memory should never take upon him the trade of lying.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
It would be an unspeakable advantage, both to the public and private, if men would consider that great truth, that no man is wise or safe, but he that is honest.
—Walter Raleigh (1552–1618) English Courtier, Navigator, Poet
A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation.
—Saki (Hector Hugh Munro) (1870–1916) British Short Story Writer, Satirist, Historian
Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bear bad fruit.
—James Lane Allen (1849–1925) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
Thefts never enrich; alms never impoverish; murder will speak out of stone walls. The least admixture of a lie—for example, the taint of vanity, the least attempt to make a good impression, a favorable appearance—will instantly vitiate the effect.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Every time we give our word, it counts. For the most part, most people give it entirely too often. Our word is a precious commodity and should be treated as such.
—John-Roger, Peter McWilliams
The best measure of a man’s honesty isn’t his income tax return. It’s the zero adjust on his bathroom scale.
—Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British Scientist, Science-fiction Writer
Though I am not naturally honest, I am so sometimes by chance.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
There is something greater than wealth, grander even than fame—manhood, character, stand for success… nothing else really does.
—Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American New Thought Writer, Physician, Entrepreneur
An honest answer is the sign of true friendship.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Honesty: The best of all the lost arts
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist