Lin Yutang Quotes

Politeness is only one half good manners and the other half good lying.

Politeness is half good manners and half good lying.

The English are polite by telling lies. The Americans are polite by telling the truth.

The world prefers decorum to honesty.

I believe in absolute honesty and sensible social lies.

I don't like being lied to, so I only lie about the stupid things. White lies, basically.

'Tis not enough your counsel still be true; Blunt truths more mischief than nice falsehoods do.

Honesty is a complex and tricky thing, and we don't want to be honest all the time.

When I think it's good not to say the truth, I don't say anything. I don't like actors in general, they lie, they are liars, trust me.

It is an affront to treat falsehood with complaisance.

I'm hopeless at telling lies. I can attempt strategic ones in order not to hurt people's feelings, but then I'll blow it 10 minutes later.

Tact: to lie about others as you would have them lie about you.

It is always the best policy to speak the truth, unless, of course, you are an exceptionally good liar.

A world without any lies at all is not a good world, because it's artless and because there are no white lies, no flattery.

No man should tell a lie unless he is shrewd enough to recognize the time for renouncing it, if and when it comes, and knows how to renounce it gracefully.

He who observes etiquette but objects to lying is like someone who dresses fashionably but wears no vest.

You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.

Never offend people with style when you can offend them with substance.

You have to steer a course between not appalling people, but at the same time not misleading them.

I suppose everyone tells little white lies. Quite often they're necessary to make someone feel better or prevent feelings from being hurt. Whoppers? No, that's dangerous and they'll boomerang.

It's okay to lie as long as you reach a higher truth doing it.

The truth is, you can be honest with your friends - but you just can't be honest with the general public if you want to keep your friends.

Nobody can honestly say that they never lie.

It takes a wise man to handle a lie, a fool had better remain honest.

It is impossible for someone to lie unless he thinks he knows the truth. A person who lies is thereby responding to the truth, and he is to that extent respectful of it.