--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The truth about a man lies first and…" description: "\"The truth about a man lies first and foremost in what he hides.\" — Andre Malraux" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/andre-malraux-5211_firsts_the-truth-about-a-man-lies-first-and-for_2299872.jpg" --- # The truth about a man lies first and foremost in what he… ![“The truth about a man lies first and foremost in what he hides.” quote by Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/andre-malraux-5211_firsts_the-truth-about-a-man-lies-first-and-for_2299872.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/andre-malraux-5211_firsts_the-truth-about-a-man-lies-first-and-for_2299872.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/andre-malraux-5211_firsts_the-truth-about-a-man-lies-first-and-for_2299872.jpg) > “The truth about a man lies first and foremost in what he hides.” [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person's truth is revealed by what they conceal. **In simple terms:** Secrets expose true character. Key Takeaway Observe hidden motives. Themes trust secrecy character Mood curious skeptical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - politics - business negotiations Key Concepts psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - What are you hiding? - Why do we conceal truths? A Different Perspective People may hide for protection, not deceit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Foremost Hides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foremost-hides-2524299/) [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [Lies Foremost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies-foremost-5434289/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Lying men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying-men/) [Man Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-lies/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-man/) ## Related quotes > [The truth of a man is first and foremost what he hides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-truth-of-a-man-is-first-and-foremost-what-he-hides/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [One man lies in his words, and gets a bad reputation; another in his manners, and enjoys a good one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/one-man-lies-in-his-words-and-gets-a-bad-reputation-another-in-his/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Do you want to live in a world where a man lies about calories?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-parent/do-you-want-to-live-in-a-world-where-a-man-lies-about-calories/) [Gail Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-parent/) > [The dignity of man lies in his ability to face reality in all its meaninglessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-esslin/the-dignity-of-man-lies-in-his-ability-to-face-reality-in-all-its/) [Martin Esslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-esslin/) > [Don't go outside; get back to yourself, in the inner man lies the Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/don-t-go-outside-get-back-to-yourself-in-the-inner-man-lies-the-truth/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [The good or ill of a man lies within his own will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/the-good-or-ill-of-a-man-lies-within-his-own-will/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [The greatness of man lies in his decision to be stronger than his condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-greatness-of-man-lies-in-his-decision-to-be-stronger-than-his/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Right, except I'm not going to lie to my mom, because what kind of (man) lies to his own mother?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/right-except-i-m-not-going-to-lie-to-my-mom-because-what-kind-of-man/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [The true perfection of man lies not in what man has, but in what man is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-true-perfection-of-man-lies-not-in-what-man-has-but-in-what-man-is/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The grandeur of man lies in song, not in thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-mauriac/the-grandeur-of-man-lies-in-song-not-in-thought/) [Francois Mauriac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-mauriac/) > [The real man lies in the depths of subconscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-real-man-lies-in-the-depths-of-subconscious/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [A man lies upon the floor, spreads his arms, and transforms himself into a ship of a thousand sails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/a-man-lies-upon-the-floor-spreads-his-arms-and-transforms-himself/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [When a man lies he murders some part of the world These are the pale deaths which men miscall their lives All this i…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-a-man-lies-he-murders-some-part-of-the-world-these-are-the-pale/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When a man lies he murders some part of the world. These are the pale deaths men miscall their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gerhardt/when-a-man-lies-he-murders-some-part-of-the-world-these-are-the-pale-2/) [Paul Gerhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gerhardt/) > [“The virtue of man lies in his ability to correct his mistakes and continually make a new man of himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-virtue-of-man-lies-in-his-ability-to-correct-his-mistakes-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Andre Malraux > [The mind supplies the idea of a nation, but what gives this idea its sentimental force is a community of dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-mind-supplies-the-idea-of-a-nation-but-what-gives-this-idea-its/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [If we cannot shape our destiny there as no such thing as witchcraft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/if-we-cannot-shape-our-destiny-there-as-no-such-thing-as-witchcraft/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [You can only make art that talks to the masses when you have nothing to say to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/you-can-only-make-art-that-talks-to-the-masses-when-you-have-nothing/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [The great mystery is not that we should have been thrown down here at random between the profusion of matter and that of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-great-mystery-is-not-that-we-should-have-been-thrown-down-here-at/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [“The day may come when, contemplating a world given back to the primeval forst, a human survivor will have no means of even guessing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-day-may-come-when-contemplating-a-world-given-back-to-the/) [André Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [Some pictures are in the gallery because they belong to humanity and others because they belong to the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/some-pictures-are-in-the-gallery-because-they-belong-to-humanity-and/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [The basic problem is that our civilization, which is a civilization of machines, can teach man everything except how to be a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-basic-problem-is-that-our-civilization-which-is-a-civilization-of/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [The artist is not the transcriber of the world, he is its rival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-artist-is-not-the-transcriber-of-the-world-he-is-its-rival/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [Every great masterpiece is a purification of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/every-great-masterpiece-is-a-purification-of-the-world/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [Even the West has known the architecture of empty space, whose object, for thousands of years, has been less to construct divine houses, than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/even-the-west-has-known-the-architecture-of-empty-space-whose-object/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [The crucial discovery was made that, in order to become painting, the universe seen by the artist had to become a private one created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-crucial-discovery-was-made-that-in-order-to-become-painting-the/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [Art is a revolt against fate. 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