WIST Quotations

Martin, Judith -- Essay (1996-03/04), Modern Maturity magazine

Dave — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 16:37:07 +0000

Honesty is a virtue, but not the only one. If you’re in a courtroom, you need the whole truth and nothing but the truth; in the living room, sometimes you need anything but. Often.

Judith Martin (b. 1938) American author, journalist, etiquette expert [a.k.a. Miss Manners]
Essay (1996-03/04), Modern Maturity magazine

McLaughlin, Mignon -- The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 3 (1963)

Dave — Tue, 27 May 2025 15:04:48 +0000

It is always safe to tell people that they’re looking wonderful.

Mignon McLaughlin (1913–1983) American journalist and author
The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 3 (1963)
(Source)

Brault, Robert -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 21:36:10 +0000

Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true.

Robert Brault (b. c. 1945) American aphorist, programmer
(Attributed)

Evans, Bergen -- Quoted in “The Euphemism: Telling It Like It Isn’t,” Time (19 Sep 1969)

Dave — Wed, 20 May 2020 19:32:51 +0000

Lying is an indispensable part of making life tolerable.

Bergen Evans (1904–1978) American educator, writer, lexicographer
Quoted in “The Euphemism: Telling It Like It Isn’t,” Time (19 Sep 1969)
(Source)

Sometimes misquoted with the words "Euphemisms persist because," but these are non-quoted text leading up to the quotation.

Crisp, Quentin -- Manners from Heaven: A Divine Guide to Good Behavior (1984)

Dave — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 16:45:36 +0000

Of course I lie to people. But I lie altruistically — for our mutual good. The lie is the basic building block of good manners. That may seem mildly shocking to a moralist — but then what isn’t?

Quentin Crisp (1908–1999) English writer and raconteur [b. Denis Pratt]
Manners from Heaven: A Divine Guide to Good Behavior (1984)
(Source)

Halifax, George Savile, Marquis of -- “Of Caution and Suspicion,” Political, Moral and Miscellaneous Thoughts and Reflections (1750)

Dave — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:05:23 +0000

A Man that should call everything by its right Name, would hardly pass the Streets without being knock’d down as a common Enemy.

George Savile, Marquis of Halifax (1633–1695) English politician and essayist
“Of Caution and Suspicion,” Political, Moral and Miscellaneous Thoughts and Reflections (1750)
(Source)

Einstein, Albert -- “Albert Einstein on Israeli-Arab Relations,” New Outlook (Jul 1957)

Dave — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:45:21 +0000

When the issue is one of Truth and Justice, there can be no differentiating between small problems and great ones. For the general viewpoints on human behaviour are indivisible. People who fail to regard the truth seriously in small matters, cannot be trusted in matters that are great.

[Wenn es sich um Wahrheit und Gerechtigkeit handelt, gibt es nicht die Unterscheidung zwischen kleinen und grossen Problemen. Denn die allgemeinen Gesichtspunkte, die das Handeln der Menschen betreffen, sind unteilbar. Wer es in kleinen Dingen mit der Wahrheit nicht ernst nimmt, dem kann man auch in grossen Dingen nicht vertrauen …]

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-American physicist
“Albert Einstein on Israeli-Arab Relations,” New Outlook (Jul 1957)
(Source)

Often paraphrased / translated, "Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either." See here for more discussion.

Brilliant, Ashleigh -- Pot-Shots

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Please don’t lie to me, unless you’re absolutely sure I’ll never find out the truth.

Ashleigh Brilliant (b. 1933) Anglo-American epigramist, aphorist, cartoonist
Pot-Shots

Munro, H. H. -- “Clovis on the Alleged Romance of Business,” The Square Egg (1924)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation.

H. H. Munro (1870–1916) Scottish writer [Hector Hugh Munro; pseud. Saki]
“Clovis on the Alleged Romance of Business,” The Square Egg (1924)

Twain, Mark -- Mark Twain’s Notebook [ed. Paine (1935)]

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 19:00:00 +0000

Good breeding consists in concealing how much we think of ourselves and how little we think of the other person.

Mark Twain (1835–1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
Mark Twain’s Notebook [ed. Paine (1935)]