---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Half-truths are worth more than outright…"
description: "\"Half-truths are worth more than outright lies.\" — Anonymous"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/anonymous-1_half_half-truths-are-worth-more-than-outright_2414254.jpg"
---

#  Half-truths are worth more than outright lies.

![“Half-truths are worth more than outright lies.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/anonymous-1_half_half-truths-are-worth-more-than-outright_2414254.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/anonymous-1_half_half-truths-are-worth-more-than-outright_2414254.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/anonymous-1_half_half-truths-are-worth-more-than-outright_2414254.jpg)

> “Half-truths are worth more than outright lies.”

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## About This Quote

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

Half‑truths can be more persuasive than outright lies because they blend fact with deception.

**In simple terms:** Half‑truths are often more convincing than lies.

Key Takeaway

Beware of partial truths.

Themes

ethics communication trust

Mood

cautious critical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- political speeches
- advertising
- personal arguments

Key Concepts

cognitive bias deception

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you been misled by a half‑truth?
- How can you verify information?

A Different Perspective

Partial truths can erode trust if discovered.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Half truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-truth/) [Half Truths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-truths/) [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Outright Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outright-lies-1651110/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truths/) [Truths Worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truths-worth-485193/)

## Related quotes

> [Half-truths can be as deceptive as outright lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-limbaugh/half-truths-can-be-as-deceptive-as-outright-lies/)

[David Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-limbaugh/)

> [The truths that seem most truthful, if you look at them from all sides, if you look at them close up, turn out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/the-truths-that-seem-most-truthful-if-you-look-at-them-from-all-sides/)

[Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/)

> [“Then, beaming at Tom and Caul, he topped up their glasses with more wine to wash down the pack of half-truths and outright lies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-reeve/then-beaming-at-tom-and-caul-he-topped-up-their-glasses-with-more/)

[Philip Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-reeve/)

> [Two half truths do not make a truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/two-half-truths-do-not-make-a-truth/)

[Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/)

> [Half-truths are the devil's IOUs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/half-truths-are-the-devil-s-ious/)

[Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/)

> [Half truths were a wonderful way to inspire credibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/half-truths-were-a-wonderful-way-to-inspire-credibility/)

[David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/)

> [There are no whole truths: All truths are half-truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/there-are-no-whole-truths-all-truths-are-half-truths/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [“The only truths worth arguing about are those truths that could prevent or lead to circumstances that may bite us in the rear sooner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-truths-worth-arguing-about-are-those-truths-that-could/)

[Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/)

> [The truth is always a compound of two half- truths, and you never reach it, because there is always something more to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/the-truth-is-always-a-compound-of-two-half-truths-and-you-never-reach/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [What will a Hillary Clinton presidency look like? The answer by now seems obvious: It will look like her presidential campaign, which in turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bernstein/what-will-a-hillary-clinton-presidency-look-like-the-answer-by-now/)

[Carl Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bernstein/)

> [Maxims are sharp-edged half-truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/maxims-are-sharp-edged-half-truths/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [One goes to Nature only for hints and half-truths. Her facts are crude until you have absorbed them or translated them ... It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/one-goes-to-nature-only-for-hints-and-half-truths-her-facts-are-crude/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [There was a distinction between lying and telling half-truths, but it was a very narrow one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/there-was-a-distinction-between-lying-and-telling-half-truths-but-it/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [Common sense, the half-truths of a deceitful society, is honored as the honest truths of a frank world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-jacoby/common-sense-the-half-truths-of-a-deceitful-society-is-honored-as-the/)

[Russell Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-jacoby/)

> [Aristotle discovered all the half-truths which were necessary to the creation of science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/aristotle-discovered-all-the-half-truths-which-were-necessary-to-the/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

## More by Anonymous

> [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More Half quotes

> [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/)

[Hubert Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-laws/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/)

[Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/)

> [Being blonde, for me, means never having to say: 'I'll have the honey-striped half-head of highlights for £200,' to a bored colourist in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-johnson/being-blonde-for-me-means-never-having-to-say-i-ll-have-the-honey/)

[Rachel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-johnson/)

> [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/)

[Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/)

> [But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-the-effect-of-her-being-on-those-around-her-was-incalculably/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [I with borrow'd silver shine, What you see is none of mine. First I show you but a quarter, Like the bow that guards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-with-borrow-d-silver-shine-what-you-see-is-none-of-mine-first-i/)

[Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/)

> [If you want to change something by Tuesday, theater is no good. Journalism is what does that. But, if you want to just alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-you-want-to-change-something-by-tuesday-theater-is-no-good/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [I spend a lot of time loathing the sentences that I put down on the page. Once I'm past that phase, it doesn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-loathing-the-sentences-that-i-put-down-on-the/)

[Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/)

> [I usually write from the rhythm section...If a drummer got a funky beat on some things - like a half-shuffle or a shuffle or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/i-usually-write-from-the-rhythm-section-if-a-drummer-got-a-funky-beat/)

[Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/)

> [The wisdom of our actions in the first three years of peace will determine the course of world history for half a century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-wallace/the-wisdom-of-our-actions-in-the-first-three-years-of-peace-will/)

[Henry A. Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-wallace/)

> [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [In a couple of decades you have half of the wells that are drilled right now, and you're talking about numbers in the millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/in-a-couple-of-decades-you-have-half-of-the-wells-that-are-drilled/)

[Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/)

[Browse all 8,570 Half quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Half-truths are worth more than outright lies.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anonymous"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/half-truths-are-worth-more-than-outright-lies/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Half"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/half-truths-are-worth-more-than-outright-lies/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/anonymous-1_half_half-truths-are-worth-more-than-outright_2414254.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/anonymous-1_half_half-truths-are-worth-more-than-outright_2414254.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/anonymous-1_half_half-truths-are-worth-more-than-outright_2414254.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Half-truths are worth more than outright lies.” — Anonymous",
                "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": "Anonymous",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Half-truths are worth more than outright...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/half-truths-are-worth-more-than-outright-lies/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/half-truths-are-worth-more-than-outright-lies/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
