--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human beings are unable to be honest with…" description: "\"Human beings are unable to be honest with themselves about themselves. They cannot talk about themselves without embellishing.\" — Akira Kurosawa" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/akira-kurosawa-14889_being-honest_human-beings-are-unable-to-be-honest-wit_459402.png" --- # Human beings are unable to be honest with themselves about… ![“Human beings are unable to be honest with themselves about themselves. They cannot talk about themselves without embellishing.” quote by Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/akira-kurosawa-14889_being-honest_human-beings-are-unable-to-be-honest-wit_459402.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/akira-kurosawa-14889_being-honest_human-beings-are-unable-to-be-honest-wit_459402.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6f/akira-kurosawa-14889_being-honest_human-beings-are-unable-to-be-honest-wit_459402.png) > “Human beings are unable to be honest with themselves about themselves. They cannot talk about themselves without embellishing.” [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People distort self‑perception, making honest self‑reflection difficult. **In simple terms:** Self‑honesty is hard. Key Takeaway Seek truthful self‑awareness. Themes self-awareness honesty psychology Mood critical thoughtful Type psychological reflective When to use this quote - counseling - creative work - leadership - personal journaling Key Concepts cognitive bias self-deception Questions to Reflect On - What truths do you hide from yourself? - How can you practice honest self‑talk? A Different Perspective Self‑reflection can be painful, causing avoidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-honest/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ## Related quotes > [Human beings seem unable to live without war, but they are also unable to live without love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/human-beings-seem-unable-to-live-without-war-but-they-are-also-unable/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [“though all my friends there are drunk, yet they are all honest, and though we do talk a lot of trash, and I do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/though-all-my-friends-there-are-drunk-yet-they-are-all-honest-and/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [If the extension of your compassion does not include all living beings, then you will be unable to find peace by yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/if-the-extension-of-your-compassion-does-not-include-all-living/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [ The opening for solid waste is very small \[in the space ship\]. It's not toilet-bowl size. And aim is critical. To be honest with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mullane/the-opening-for-solid-waste-is-very-small-in-the-space-ship-it-s-not/) [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) > [I guess it has to be healthy, you have to be honest with yourself and I think that's when ego is okay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-amoruso/i-guess-it-has-to-be-healthy-you-have-to-be-honest-with-yourself-and/) [Sophia Amoruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-amoruso/) > [The buildings that were in question, they said in the same report, which was - actually, it wasn't even a bad story, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-buildings-that-were-in-question-they-said-in-the-same-report/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I'm going to be honest, I would love for Flava Flav to be president. It would bring a lot of excitement to the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-khaled/i-m-going-to-be-honest-i-would-love-for-flava-flav-to-be-president-it/) [DJ Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-khaled/) > [I'm a person of change and I must be honest to my artistry and my creativity. That's part of the word 'jazz'... it's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-ferguson/i-m-a-person-of-change-and-i-must-be-honest-to-my-artistry-and-my/) Maynard Ferguson > [The cultural integration of psychedelics won't happen overnight, and the question of young people is perhaps the most difficult involved. 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Lord of the Rings was like stepping into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-had-never-done-anything-with-blue-screen-before-or-prosthetics-or/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/) [Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) ## More by Akira Kurosawa > [The truth is in the mystery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/the-truth-is-in-the-mystery/) [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) > [The Japanese see self-assertion as immoral and self- sacrifice as the sensible course to take in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/the-japanese-see-self-assertion-as-immoral-and-self-sacrifice-as-the/) [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) > [Take me, subtract movies, and you get zero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/take-me-subtract-movies-and-you-get-zero/) [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) > [“IT IS QUITE ENOUGH IF A HUMAN BEING HAS BUT ONE FIELD WHERE HE OR SHE IS STRONG. IF A HUMAN BEING WERE STRONG…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/it-is-quite-enough-if-a-human-being-has-but-one-field-where-he-or-she/) [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) > [I like unformed characters. This may be because, no matter how old I get, I am still unformed myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/i-like-unformed-characters-this-may-be-because-no-matter-how-old-i/) [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) > [If you look at everything straight on, there is nothing to be afraid of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/if-you-look-at-everything-straight-on-there-is-nothing-to-be-afraid-of/) [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) > [It is the power of memory that gives rise to the power of imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/it-is-the-power-of-memory-that-gives-rise-to-the-power-of-imagination/) [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) > [I suppose all of my films have a common theme. 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There’s nothing complicated about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/a-truly-good-movie-is-enjoyable-too-there-s-nothing-complicated-about/) [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) > [Man is a genius when he is dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/man-is-a-genius-when-he-is-dreaming/) [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) > [ “There is nothing that says more about its creator than the work itself. \[Pg.189\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/there-is-nothing-that-says-more-about-its-creator-than-the-work/) [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) [Explore all 45 Akira Kurosawa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) ## More Being honest quotes > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. 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Lord of the Rings was like stepping into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-had-never-done-anything-with-blue-screen-before-or-prosthetics-or/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [Let's be honest, if the Democrats didn't support ignoring our nation's immigration laws, there is no way they could win the presidency or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/let-s-be-honest-if-the-democrats-didn-t-support-ignoring-our-nation-s/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [I think what saved me is me being honest. I think I somewhow had the courage to do something and say something that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/i-think-what-saved-me-is-me-being-honest-i-think-i-somewhow-had-the/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [An actor has to evaluate his own abilities and be honest with himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/an-actor-has-to-evaluate-his-own-abilities-and-be-honest-with-himself/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [The cultural integration of psychedelics won't happen overnight, and the question of young people is perhaps the most difficult involved. The first step is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-doblin/the-cultural-integration-of-psychedelics-won-t-happen-overnight-and/) [Rick Doblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-doblin/) > [I'm a person of change and I must be honest to my artistry and my creativity. That's part of the word 'jazz'... it's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-ferguson/i-m-a-person-of-change-and-i-must-be-honest-to-my-artistry-and-my/) Maynard Ferguson > [I'm going to be honest, I would love for Flava Flav to be president. It would bring a lot of excitement to the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-khaled/i-m-going-to-be-honest-i-would-love-for-flava-flav-to-be-president-it/) [DJ Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-khaled/) > [The buildings that were in question, they said in the same report, which was - actually, it wasn't even a bad story, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-buildings-that-were-in-question-they-said-in-the-same-report/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I guess it has to be healthy, you have to be honest with yourself and I think that's when ego is okay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-amoruso/i-guess-it-has-to-be-healthy-you-have-to-be-honest-with-yourself-and/) [Sophia Amoruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-amoruso/) > [ The opening for solid waste is very small \[in the space ship\]. It's not toilet-bowl size. And aim is critical. To be honest with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mullane/the-opening-for-solid-waste-is-very-small-in-the-space-ship-it-s-not/) [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) > [We had 90 percent rates, but nobody paid them. And so you had all these exemptions, exclusions, shelters, all this kind of stuff. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-had-90-percent-rates-but-nobody-paid-them-and-so-you-had-all-these/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I think, as a filmmaker, it's important to be honest with yourself at all times in terms of what's working and what's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-wingard/i-think-as-a-filmmaker-it-s-important-to-be-honest-with-yourself-at/) [Adam Wingard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-wingard/) > [We live in a world in which the only utopian visions arrive in commercial breaks: magical visions of an impossibly hospitable world, peopled by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/we-live-in-a-world-in-which-the-only-utopian-visions-arrive-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) [Browse all 1,333 Being honest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-honest/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Human beings are unable to be honest with themselves about themselves. 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