Time to be honest. William Shakespeare, Timon of Athens I i 261, Apemantus
This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues,
Was once thought honest. William Shakespeare, Macbeth IV iii 12
Where I could not be honest
I never yet was valiant. William Shakespeare, The History of King Lear V i 25-26, Albany
Though I am not naturally honest, I am so sometimes by chance. William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale IV iii 734
If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people. Virginia Woolf
Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it. George R R Martin, A Game of Thrones
Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken. Jane Austen, Emma
‘It turns out it’s all about rationalisation.’ (Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies, Dr Dan Ariely, 2015
‘On the one hand we want to look in the mirror and think that we’re good honest wonderful people, on the other hand we want to benefit selfishly from being dishonest. As long as we cheat just a little bit we don’t have to pay any price in terms of the image and the way we view ourselves: we call this the Fudge Factor.’ ibid.
‘Everyone’s trading on this stuff; there’s not one person in my office who wasn’t.’ ibid. cheating trader
Over 40,000 people have participated in the Matrix experiments: nearly 70% cheated. ibid. caption
‘It’s not about the probability of being caught, it’s about the question of what is socially acceptable in our circle.’ ibid. Ariely
‘Our brain gets accustomed to lying because after a while the negative value or lying, the negative feeling, is just not there so much.’ ibid. Tali Sharot
‘And this is what I think corruption is all about: it’s not about being bad, it’s about being human.’ ibid. Ariely
‘Bankers vs Politicians: the bankers cheated twice as much.’ ibid.
‘Reminding people about their own moral fibre does change how people behave.’ ibid.
They lie and they fucking cheat all the way. They just think they’re being honest ’cause they swallowed the bollocks they’ve been handed. They’ve been conned. Made in Britain 1982 starring Tim Roth & Bill Stewart & Geoffrey Hutchings & Terry Richards & Eric Richard & Sean Chapman & Christopher Fulford et al, director, Roth
Two AA meetings and suddenly you’re the expert on honesty. Killing Eve s2e7: Wide Awake, Eve to Villanelle, BBC 2019
Let me be absolutely honest with you … Yes, Prime Minister s1e3: The Smoke Screen, Jim to Health Minister, BBC 1986
Only man can blush.
No other creature knows of shame.
Why have we wandered so far away
From simple honesty? Edwin Leibfreed, The Song of the Soul