--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let none of us delude himself by…" description: "\"Let none of us delude himself by supposing that honesty is always the best policy. It is not.\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe5/anonymous-1_honesty_let-none-of-us-delude-himself-by-supposi_695218.jpg" --- # Let none of us delude himself by supposing that honesty is… ![“Let none of us delude himself by supposing that honesty is always the best policy. It is not.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe5/anonymous-1_honesty_let-none-of-us-delude-himself-by-supposi_695218.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe5/anonymous-1_honesty_let-none-of-us-delude-himself-by-supposi_695218.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe5/anonymous-1_honesty_let-none-of-us-delude-himself-by-supposi_695218.jpg) > “Let none of us delude himself by supposing that honesty is always the best policy. It is not.” [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. Honesty is valuable but not always the optimal choice; context may demand discretion or deception. **In simple terms:** Truth isn’t always best. Key Takeaway Consider consequences before speaking truth. Themes ethics truth pragmatism Mood thoughtful cautious Type philosophical advisory When to use this quote - Negotiations - political strategy - personal relationships - legal testimony Key Concepts moral philosophy situational ethics communication Questions to Reflect On - When is lying justified? - What are the costs of truth? A Different Perspective Blind honesty can cause harm or strategic loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) ## Related quotes > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [Honesty is always the best policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/honesty-is-always-the-best-policy/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Honesty is the best policy. Unless you want people to like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/honesty-is-the-best-policy-unless-you-want-people-to-like-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/honesty-is-the-best-policy-but-insanity-is-a-better-defense/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is not a quality worse than being a liar. Honesty is the best policy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-not-a-quality-worse-than-being-a-liar-honesty-is-the-best/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Honesty is not only the best policy, it is rare enough today to make you pleasantly conspicuous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/honesty-is-not-only-the-best-policy-it-is-rare-enough-today-to-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Honesty is the best policy but insanity is the best defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/honesty-is-the-best-policy-but-insanity-is-the-best-defense/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Honesty is the best policy. But don't show all your cards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/honesty-is-the-best-policy-but-don-t-show-all-your-cards/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Word to the wise. Never lie to me. Period. Honesty is the best policy for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/word-to-the-wise-never-lie-to-me-period-honesty-is-the-best-policy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/honesty-may-be-the-best-policy-but-it-s-important-to-remember-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Honesty is the best policy unless you're talking to the feds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/honesty-is-the-best-policy-unless-you-re-talking-to-the-feds/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Honesty is the best policy, but deceit is the one most commonly used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/honesty-is-the-best-policy-but-deceit-is-the-one-most-commonly-used/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Yeah, well you know what they say. Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-mantle/yeah-well-you-know-what-they-say-honesty-is-the-best-policy-but/) Stacy Mantle > [Honesty is the best policy in life, but it is essential in art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/honesty-is-the-best-policy-in-life-but-it-is-essential-in-art/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Honesty is often the best policy, but sometimes the appearance of it is worth six of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/honesty-is-often-the-best-policy-but-sometimes-the-appearance-of-it/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## 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 Honesty quotes > [The greatest gift you can give to those around you is honesty. Sometimes honest words may sting the heart, but dishonesty pierces deep into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/the-greatest-gift-you-can-give-to-those-around-you-is-honesty/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [If You Love Someone, Be Brave Enough To Tell Them., Otherwise Be Brave Enough To Watch Them To Be Loved By Someone Else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilal-zahoor/if-you-love-someone-be-brave-enough-to-tell-them-otherwise-be-brave/) [Bilal Zahoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bilal-zahoor/) > [Honesty in politics is the result of strength; hypocrisy is the result of weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/honesty-in-politics-is-the-result-of-strength-hypocrisy-is-the-result/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [In all honesty, once you become a professional, number one, you're no longer a fan. I don't root for the Dodgers, really. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-scully/in-all-honesty-once-you-become-a-professional-number-one-you-re-no/) [Vin Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-scully/) > [Honest people don't hide their deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/honest-people-don-t-hide-their-deeds/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [The quality an artist must have is objectivity in judging his work, plus the honesty and courage not to kid himself about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-quality-an-artist-must-have-is-objectivity-in-judging-his-work/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I think honesty is a big part. Because when you sing live, you want the audience to believe you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pixie-lott/i-think-honesty-is-a-big-part-because-when-you-sing-live-you-want-the/) [Pixie Lott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pixie-lott/) > [Anything well written with good language and clarity and honesty is worth doing. It comes out of the same tradition as Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/anything-well-written-with-good-language-and-clarity-and-honesty-is/) [Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/) > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [Former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi and the radical Islamist mullahs ruling Iran share many similarities, but honesty and negotiating in good faith are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hoekstra/former-libyan-dictator-moammar-gadhafi-and-the-radical-islamist/) [Pete Hoekstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hoekstra/) > [“An honest man is a debtless man, he doesn't owe anyone anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-honest-man-is-a-debtless-man-he-doesn-t-owe-anyone-anything/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Don't worry so much about your self-esteem. Worry more about your character. Integrity is its own reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/don-t-worry-so-much-about-your-self-esteem-worry-more-about-your/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [“Teach honesty by all means - you do know what it is, don't you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/teach-honesty-by-all-means-you-do-know-what-it-is-don-t-you/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [America today is a confused society, caught up in a terror war, a culture war, and a media war, where honesty and professional standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/america-today-is-a-confused-society-caught-up-in-a-terror-war-a/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [There's a need for music that has urgency and emotional honesty. That's why people are reintroducing themselves to guitar music - that instrument has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mura-masa/there-s-a-need-for-music-that-has-urgency-and-emotional-honesty-that/) [Mura Masa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mura-masa/) [Browse all 4,388 Honesty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Let none of us delude himself by supposing that honesty is always the best policy. 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