Truth may be stretched, but cannot be broken, and always gets above falsehood, as does oil above water.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
Nothing gives rest but the sincere search for truth.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
Truth does not do as much good in the world, as its counterfeit does mischief.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
If people are not being told the truth about their problems, the majority not only may, but invariably must, make the wrong judgments.
—Robert G. Ingersoll (1833–99) American Lawyer, Orator, Agnostic
All extremes are error. The reverse of error is not truth but error still. Truth lies between these extremes.
—Richard Cecil
Women have been conditioned to believe that to be powerful is unfeminine and unattractive. It is my experience that nothing could be further from the truth.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
Nothing is poorer than a truth expressed as it was thought. Committed to writing in such cases, it is not even a bad photograph. Truth wants to be startled abruptly, at one stroke, from her self-immersion, whether by uproar, music or cries for help.
—Walter Benjamin
Truth is a naked and open daylight
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
It is more important that a proposition be interesting than that it be true.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
There is no God higher than truth.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
The trouble about man is twofold. He cannot learn truths which are too complicated; he forgets truths which are too simple.
—Rebecca West (1892–1983) English Author, Journalist, Literary Critic
Truth is violated by falsehood, but outraged by silence.
—Anonymous
You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
One often makes a remark and only later sees how true it is.
—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) Austrian-born British Philosopher
A thing is not necessarily true because badly uttered, nor false because spoken magnificently.
—Augustine of Hippo (354–430) Roman-African Christian Philosopher
It is as hard to tell the truth as to hide it.
—Baltasar Gracian (1601–58) Spanish Scholar, Prose Writer
Truth is established by investigation and delay; falsehood prospers by precipitancy.
—Tacitus (56–117) Roman Orator, Historian
There is no such source of error as the pursuit of absolute truth.
—Samuel Butler
Truth is never to be expected from authors whose understanding is warped with enthusiasm.
—John Dryden (1631–1700) English Poet, Literary Critic, Playwright
The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth.
—Niels Bohr (1885–1962) Danish Physicist
For truth is precious and divine, too rich a pearl for carnal swine.
—Samuel Butler
Truth tells its own tale.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Everybody says it, and what everybody says must be true.
—James Fenimore Cooper (1789–1851) American Novelist
The enemies of the truth are always awfully nice.
—Christopher Morley (1890–1957) American Novelist, Essayist
Truth is the daughter of time, not of authority.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Truth: An ingenious compound of desirability and appearance.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
You need not tell all the truth, unless to those who have a right to know it all. But let all you tell be truth.
—Horace Mann (1796–1859) American Educator, Politician, Educationalist
It is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies and to end as superstitions.
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95) English Biologist
Intense feeling too often obscures the truth.
—Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) American Head of State
To announce truths is an infallible receipt for being persecuted.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author