--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The use of the polygraph has done little…" description: "\"The use of the polygraph has done little more than create confusion, ambiguity and mistakes.\" — Aldrich Ames" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/aldrich-ames-16838_ambiguity_the-use-of-the-polygraph-has-done-little_1780982.png" --- # The use of the polygraph has done little more than create… ![“The use of the polygraph has done little more than create confusion, ambiguity and mistakes.” quote by Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/aldrich-ames-16838_ambiguity_the-use-of-the-polygraph-has-done-little_1780982.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/aldrich-ames-16838_ambiguity_the-use-of-the-polygraph-has-done-little_1780982.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/aldrich-ames-16838_ambiguity_the-use-of-the-polygraph-has-done-little_1780982.png) > “The use of the polygraph has done little more than create confusion, ambiguity and mistakes.” [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Polygraph tests often create more confusion and errors than they resolve. **In simple terms:** Polygraphs cause ambiguity and mistakes. Key Takeaway Rely on more reliable verification methods. Themes trust verification security mistakes policy Mood skeptical critical Type analytical cautionary When to use this quote - security screenings - law enforcement - employment vetting Key Concepts false positives human error ethical concerns Questions to Reflect On - Why trust a tool that confuses? - What alternatives improve accuracy? A Different Perspective Polygraphs are not foolproof. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambiguity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) [Ambiguity Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity-mistakes-1863282/) [Confusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confusion/) [Confusion Ambiguity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confusion-ambiguity-1863283/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Polygraph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polygraph/) [Polygraph Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polygraph-little-1863280/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Use Polygraph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-polygraph-1863281/) ## Related quotes > [The FBI, to its credit in a self-serving sort of way, rejects the routine use of the polygraph on its own people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/the-fbi-to-its-credit-in-a-self-serving-sort-of-way-rejects-the/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [“After business, the next most frequent use of the polygraph test is as part of criminal investigations. It is not only used on criminal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ekman/after-business-the-next-most-frequent-use-of-the-polygraph-test-is-as/) [Paul Ekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ekman/) > [“federal government is the third largest user of the polygraph test to detect lying. In 1982 22,597 tests were reported by various federal agencies.\*…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ekman/federal-government-is-the-third-largest-user-of-the-polygraph-test-to/) [Paul Ekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ekman/) > [I am not opposed to the limited use of polygraphs in a case where a person is suspected of wrongdoing. But widespread use of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bingaman/i-am-not-opposed-to-the-limited-use-of-polygraphs-in-a-case-where-a/) [Jeff Bingaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bingaman/) > [The U.S. is, so far as I know, the only nation which places such extensive reliance on the polygraph. It has gotten us into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/the-u-s-is-so-far-as-i-know-the-only-nation-which-places-such/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [“President Reagan proposed further broadening the use of the polygraph test. All executive departments were authorized to “require employees to take a polygraph examination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ekman/president-reagan-proposed-further-broadening-the-use-of-the-polygraph/) [Paul Ekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ekman/) > [“Proof beyond a reasonable doubt = Katie Johnson's polygraph results.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trump-is-a-child-rapist/proof-beyond-a-reasonable-doubt-katie-johnson-s-polygraph-results/) [TRUMP is a CHILD RAPIST](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trump-is-a-child-rapist/) > [After reviewing the polygraph charts in private, the polygraph examiner told me that I had passed and that he believed I had nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/after-reviewing-the-polygraph-charts-in-private-the-polygraph/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [“Although it is illegal in eighteen states, to ask employees to take the polygraph test, employers reportedly can find ways around those laws.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ekman/although-it-is-illegal-in-eighteen-states-to-ask-employees-to-take/) [Paul Ekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ekman/) > [Later, I went down to the Washington field office and an onsite polygraph was administered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/later-i-went-down-to-the-washington-field-office-and-an-onsite/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [To become a Secret Service agent, applicants must pass a polygraph exam. But after being hired, agents are never required to undergo regular lie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-kessler/to-become-a-secret-service-agent-applicants-must-pass-a-polygraph/) [Ronald Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-kessler/) > [“Google: An FBI polygraph test will get Captain Mark Richards released from prison”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trump-is-a-child-rapist/google-an-fbi-polygraph-test-will-get-captain-mark-richards-released/) [TRUMP is a CHILD RAPIST](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trump-is-a-child-rapist/) > [“The polygrapher is not one’s friend even if he or she tries to convince one he or she is on one’s side. Outright deception!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-david/the-polygrapher-is-not-one-s-friend-even-if-he-or-she-tries-to/) [S. A. David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-david/) > [“There has never been a Supreme Court ruling on the admissibility of polygraph evidence in federal court.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ekman/there-has-never-been-a-supreme-court-ruling-on-the-admissibility-of/) [Paul Ekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ekman/) > [My own view is that if you filled every member of the parliamentary Labour party with a truth drug and lashed them to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-dobson/my-own-view-is-that-if-you-filled-every-member-of-the-parliamentary/) [Frank Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-dobson/) ## More by Aldrich Ames > [I said in court a long time ago that I didn't see that the Soviet Union was significantly helped by the information I gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/i-said-in-court-a-long-time-ago-that-i-didn-t-see-that-the-soviet/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [The U.S. is, so far as I know, the only nation which places such extensive reliance on the polygraph. It has gotten us into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/the-u-s-is-so-far-as-i-know-the-only-nation-which-places-such/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [I came into the Agency with a set of ideas and attitudes that were quite typical of people coming into the Agency at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/i-came-into-the-agency-with-a-set-of-ideas-and-attitudes-that-were/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [When I got the money, the whole burden descended on me, and the realization of what I had done. And it led me then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/when-i-got-the-money-the-whole-burden-descended-on-me-and-the/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [The FBI, to its credit in a self-serving sort of way, rejects the routine use of the polygraph on its own people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/the-fbi-to-its-credit-in-a-self-serving-sort-of-way-rejects-the/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [The Soviet Union did not achieve victory over the West, so was my information inadequate to help them to victory, or did it play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/the-soviet-union-did-not-achieve-victory-over-the-west-so-was-my/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [The human spy, in terms of the American espionage effort, had never been terribly pertinent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/the-human-spy-in-terms-of-the-american-espionage-effort-had-never/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [Our Soviet espionage efforts had virtually never, or had very seldom, produced any worthwhile political or economic intelligence on the Soviet Union.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/our-soviet-espionage-efforts-had-virtually-never-or-had-very-seldom/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [The national security state has many unfair and cruel weapons in its arsenal, but that of junk science is one which can be fought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/the-national-security-state-has-many-unfair-and-cruel-weapons-in-its/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [In my professional work with the Agency, by the late '70s, I had come to question the value of a great deal of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/in-my-professional-work-with-the-agency-by-the-late-70s-i-had-come-to/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [My little scam in April '85 went like this: Give me $50,000; here's some names of some people we've recruited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/my-little-scam-in-april-85-went-like-this-give-me-50-000-here-s-some/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [There are so many things a large intelligence espionage organization can do to justify its existence, that people can get promotions for, because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/there-are-so-many-things-a-large-intelligence-espionage-organization/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [Foreign Ministry guys don't become agents. Party officials, the Foreign Ministry nerds, tend not to volunteer to Western intelligence agencies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/foreign-ministry-guys-don-t-become-agents-party-officials-the-foreign/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [I knew quite well, when I gave the names of our agents in the Soviet Union, that I was exposing them to the full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/i-knew-quite-well-when-i-gave-the-names-of-our-agents-in-the-soviet/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) > [When I handed over the names and compromised so many CIA agents in the Soviet Union, I had come to the conclusion that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/when-i-handed-over-the-names-and-compromised-so-many-cia-agents-in/) [Aldrich Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) [Explore all 38 Aldrich Ames quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/) ## More Ambiguity quotes > [The position is clear - there is no ambiguity in Sinn Fein's position. We, along with all the other parties, have signed up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/the-position-is-clear-there-is-no-ambiguity-in-sinn-fein-s-position/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) > [Ambiguity is necessary in some of my stories, not in all. In those, it certainly contributes to the richness of the story. I doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/ambiguity-is-necessary-in-some-of-my-stories-not-in-all-in-those-it/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/during-the-cold-war-we-lived-in-coded-times-when-it-wasn-t-easy-and/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [You cannot grow in the integrative dance of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-grow-in-the-integrative-dance-of-action-and-contemplation/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [I blame my grandfather 100 percent for his oldest son's death. I don't think there's any ambiguity there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/i-blame-my-grandfather-100-percent-for-his-oldest-son-s-death-i-don-t/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [I think the relationship between social-dominance orientation in people and the extent to which they're made uncomfortable by ambiguity and novelty is really important.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-think-the-relationship-between-social-dominance-orientation-in/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Yet again, an ancient answer echoes across the centuries: Listen! Listen to stories! For what stories do, above all else, is hold up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-kurtz/yet-again-an-ancient-answer-echoes-across-the-centuries-listen-listen/) [Ernest Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-kurtz/) > [My path to wisdom began when I stopped pretending to know things I didn't know. When I explicitly admitted to the limits of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/my-path-to-wisdom-began-when-i-stopped-pretending-to-know-things-i/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [If there is a single tragic flaw that mars our biggest enterprises, it is conservatism - the failure to fail, and fail big, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-there-is-a-single-tragic-flaw-that-mars-our-biggest-enterprises-it/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [In order to be as free as I possibly can, in my own imagination, I can't take positions that are closed. Everything I've ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-order-to-be-as-free-as-i-possibly-can-in-my-own-imagination-i-can/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I've always been drawn to ambiguity in pop music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-ambiguity-in-pop-music/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I believe that we can still have a genre of scientific books suitable for and accessible alike to professionals and interested laypeople. The concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-believe-that-we-can-still-have-a-genre-of-scientific-books-suitable/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I am in the utmost perplexity, yand have wished a hundred times, that if there is a A God, nature would manifest him without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/i-am-in-the-utmost-perplexity-yand-have-wished-a-hundred-times-that/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [There's a lot of ambiguity in life, and so often, our art is very neatly wrapped up at the end, when our lives never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/there-s-a-lot-of-ambiguity-in-life-and-so-often-our-art-is-very/) [Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/) > [“Man must not attempt to dispel the ambiguity of his being but, on the contrary, accept the task of realizing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/man-must-not-attempt-to-dispel-the-ambiguity-of-his-being-but-on-the/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) [Browse all 431 Ambiguity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The use of the polygraph has done little more than create confusion, ambiguity and mistakes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aldrich Ames" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/the-use-of-the-polygraph-has-done-little-more-than-create-confusion/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ambiguity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/the-use-of-the-polygraph-has-done-little-more-than-create-confusion/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/aldrich-ames-16838_ambiguity_the-use-of-the-polygraph-has-done-little_1780982.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/aldrich-ames-16838_ambiguity_the-use-of-the-polygraph-has-done-little_1780982.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d27/aldrich-ames-16838_ambiguity_the-use-of-the-polygraph-has-done-little_1780982.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The use of the polygraph has done little more than create confusion, ambiguity and mistakes.” — Aldrich Ames", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aldrich Ames", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldrich-ames/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The use of the polygraph has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/the-use-of-the-polygraph-has-done-little-more-than-create-confusion/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldrich-ames/the-use-of-the-polygraph-has-done-little-more-than-create-confusion/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```