--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The pure and simple truth, it has been…" description: "\"“The pure and simple truth, it has been said, is rarely pure and never simple.”\" — Ben Mercer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/ben-mercer-222650_simple-truth_the-pure-and-simple-truth-it-has-been-sa_1936396.jpg" --- # The pure and simple truth, it has been said, is rarely… ![“The pure and simple truth, it has been said, is rarely pure and never simple.” quote by Ben Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/ben-mercer-222650_simple-truth_the-pure-and-simple-truth-it-has-been-sa_1936396.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/ben-mercer-222650_simple-truth_the-pure-and-simple-truth-it-has-been-sa_1936396.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/ben-mercer-222650_simple-truth_the-pure-and-simple-truth-it-has-been-sa_1936396.jpg) > ““The pure and simple truth, it has been said, is rarely pure and never simple.”” Ben Mercer ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Truth is claimed to be pure and simple, yet reality shows complexity. **In simple terms:** Truth is rarely pure or simple. Key Takeaway Accept complexity in truth. Themes truth complexity simplicity philosophy critical thinking Mood philosophical critical Type Pure:0 Simple truth:0 Truth:1 Truth Said:0 Rarely Pure:0 Said Rarely:0 When to use this quote - academic research - media literacy - personal beliefs Key Concepts epistemology logic cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How do you evaluate complex truths? - When is simplicity useful? A Different Perspective Seeking simplicity can lead to misunderstanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Simple truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-truth/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [The pure and simple truth is very rarely pure and never is it simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/the-pure-and-simple-truth-is-very-rarely-pure-and-never-is-it-simple/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-pure-and-simple-truth-is-rarely-pure-and-never-simple/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“The truth is rarely pure and never simple. -Oscar Wilde”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vi-keeland/the-truth-is-rarely-pure-and-never-simple-oscar-wilde/) [Vi Keeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vi-keeland/) > [Inspiration takes many forms, but it's rarely pure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/inspiration-takes-many-forms-but-it-s-rarely-pure/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [“It was always good to know that things in the field really were the way the officers had said they’d be, if only because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/django-wexler/it-was-always-good-to-know-that-things-in-the-field-really-were-the/) [Django Wexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/django-wexler/) > [“Managers at all levels of Apple said they rarely were pressed for any kind of financial analysis or to defend decisions based on potential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/managers-at-all-levels-of-apple-said-they-rarely-were-pressed-for-any/) [Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/) > [The truth, it is said, is rarely pure or simple, yet genetics can at times seem seductively transparent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-mcgilchrist/the-truth-it-is-said-is-rarely-pure-or-simple-yet-genetics-can-at/) [Iain McGilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-mcgilchrist/) > [The truth is rarely pure and is never simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-truth-is-rarely-pure-and-is-never-simple/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The truth is rarely pure and never simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-truth-is-rarely-pure-and-never-simple/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Truth, it has been said, is the first casualty of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-snowden-1st-viscount-snowden/truth-it-has-been-said-is-the-first-casualty-of-war/) Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden > [“What is truth?” I said. “Is it the shallow assurance that something literally took place, or is it about something far deeper, something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lister/what-is-truth-i-said-is-it-the-shallow-assurance-that-something/) [Michael Lister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lister/) > [What I've tried to do in politics is two very simple things: tell the truth and do what I said I would do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/what-i-ve-tried-to-do-in-politics-is-two-very-simple-things-tell-the/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [“For no one should consider anything his own, except perhaps a lie, since all truth is from Him who said, "I am the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/for-no-one-should-consider-anything-his-own-except-perhaps-a-lie/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [XXVIII "Truth," said a traveller, "Is a rock, a mighty fortress; "Often have I been to it, "Even to its highest tower, "From whence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/xxviii-truth-said-a-traveller-is-a-rock-a-mighty-fortress-often-have/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [If the truth is said why does it sound like a lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-the-truth-is-said-why-does-it-sound-like-a-lie/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Pure quotes > [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [“We have a love so pure that it makes snow seem yellow. 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Rather look directly into the naked, empty nature of thoughts; then there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamgon-kongtrul/why-chase-after-thoughts-which-are-superficial-ripples-of-present/) Jamgon Kongtrul Browse all 3,491 Pure quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The pure and simple truth, it has been said, is rarely pure and never simple.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ben Mercer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mercer/the-pure-and-simple-truth-it-has-been-said-is-rarely-pure-and-never/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Pure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mercer/the-pure-and-simple-truth-it-has-been-said-is-rarely-pure-and-never/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/ben-mercer-222650_simple-truth_the-pure-and-simple-truth-it-has-been-sa_1936396.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/ben-mercer-222650_simple-truth_the-pure-and-simple-truth-it-has-been-sa_1936396.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dc/ben-mercer-222650_simple-truth_the-pure-and-simple-truth-it-has-been-sa_1936396.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The pure and simple truth, it has been said, is rarely pure and never simple.” — Ben Mercer", "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": "Ben Mercer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mercer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The pure and simple truth, it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mercer/the-pure-and-simple-truth-it-has-been-said-is-rarely-pure-and-never/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mercer/the-pure-and-simple-truth-it-has-been-said-is-rarely-pure-and-never/#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 } } ] } ```