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Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me…

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us.” quote by Stephen King
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““Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us.””

Stephen King

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Repeated deception erodes trust, eventually harming both deceiver and deceived.

In simple terms: Repeated lies hurt everyone involved.

Key Takeaway

Avoid repeating the same mistake.

Themes

ethics trust relationships

Mood

cautious introspective

Type

moral philosophical

When to use this quote

  • personal relationships
  • business dealings
  • political negotiations

Key Concepts

reciprocity self‑reflection

Questions to Reflect On

  • What patterns of deception have you observed?
  • How can you rebuild trust after repeated errors?
A Different Perspective

Some may argue a single mistake can be forgiven; context matters.

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