--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Almost everything you think is sacred…" description: "\"“Almost everything you think is sacred, good and decent, is a lie and an all-out assault against truth and decency.”\" — Bryant McGill" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/bryant-mcgill-108_decency_almost-everything-you-think-is-sacred-go_57527.jpg" --- # Almost everything you think is sacred, good and decent, is… ![“Almost everything you think is sacred, good and decent, is a lie and an all-out assault against truth and decency.” quote by Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/bryant-mcgill-108_decency_almost-everything-you-think-is-sacred-go_57527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/bryant-mcgill-108_decency_almost-everything-you-think-is-sacred-go_57527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/bryant-mcgill-108_decency_almost-everything-you-think-is-sacred-go_57527.jpg) > ““Almost everything you think is sacred, good and decent, is a lie and an all-out assault against truth and decency.”” [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote challenges the belief that many societal norms and values are inherently virtuous, arguing they often conceal falsehoods and undermine genuine morality. **In simple terms:** Questioning moral absolutes Key Takeaway Beware of unexamined virtues Themes skepticism morality truth social critique cognitive bias Mood provocative critical challenging Type aphorism social commentary philosophical When to use this quote - political discourse - cultural debates - media analysis - personal moral reflection Key Concepts ethical relativism truth vs. belief social conditioning Practical Applications - critical thinking workshops - ethical training programs Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions do you hold about what is 'good'? - How can we differentiate truth from comforting falsehoods? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assault Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assault-truth-796135/) [Decency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decency/) [Decent Lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decent-lie-796132/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Lie Assault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie-assault-796133/) [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [Sacred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred/) [Think Sacred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-sacred-796134/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Decency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-decency-796131/) ## Related quotes > [“Almost everything a person thinks is a lie, and an assault against the natural soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/almost-everything-a-person-thinks-is-a-lie-and-an-assault-against-the/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Liberty is the parent of truth, but truth and decency are sometimes at variance. All men and all propositions are to be treated here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/liberty-is-the-parent-of-truth-but-truth-and-decency-are-sometimes-at/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“REJECT THE LIES AND VIOLENCE. STAND FOR LOVE, TRUTH, DECENCY AND THE COMMON GOOD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/reject-the-lies-and-violence-stand-for-love-truth-decency-and-the/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Our sacred contract is not a literal document. That's the first thing to understand. We could think of our sacred contract as a spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/our-sacred-contract-is-not-a-literal-document-that-s-the-first-thing/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [“Being insulted offers you an opportunity to practice decency and having a non-response internally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/being-insulted-offers-you-an-opportunity-to-practice-decency-and/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“No woman deserves to be treated as little more than your toy. If you feel she is nothing more than a cheap hooker, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-anne/no-woman-deserves-to-be-treated-as-little-more-than-your-toy-if-you/) [Melody Anne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-anne/) > [“The quality of your life ultimately depends on the quality of your relationships . . . which are basically a reflection of your sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/the-quality-of-your-life-ultimately-depends-on-the-quality-of-your/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [I gather a repulsive nobody writing in a paper no one of any decency would be seen dead with has written something loathesome and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-gather-a-repulsive-nobody-writing-in-a-paper-no-one-of-any-decency/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Liberty ... was a two-headed boon. There was first, the liberty of the people as a whole to determine the forms of their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/liberty-was-a-two-headed-boon-there-was-first-the-liberty-of-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense."... "We must treat each man on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/let-the-watchwords-of-all-our-people-be-the-old-familiar-watchwords/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“Faye, if you got eaten by another shark, would you please at least have the decency to say so? My time is kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-lothlorien/faye-if-you-got-eaten-by-another-shark-would-you-please-at-least-have/) [Elle Lothlorien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-lothlorien/) > [Don't overestimate the decency of the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/don-t-overestimate-the-decency-of-the-human-race/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [What's wrong with death sir? What are we so mortally afraid of? Why can't we treat death with a certain amount of humanity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/what-s-wrong-with-death-sir-what-are-we-so-mortally-afraid-of-why-can/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [Listen, young people, I understand narcissism - clearly. But at least I have the decency to hate myself. And that's what's missing from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/listen-young-people-i-understand-narcissism-clearly-but-at-least-i/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Come on, that was no foul! It may be a violation of all the basic rules of human decency, but its not a foul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walton/come-on-that-was-no-foul-it-may-be-a-violation-of-all-the-basic-rules/) [Bill Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walton/) ## More by Bryant McGill > [“Witnessing a selfless act brings tears to remind us how we should be treating others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/witnessing-a-selfless-act-brings-tears-to-remind-us-how-we-should-be/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“The teacher can only provide the lessons, but the student ultimately decides what to learn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-teacher-can-only-provide-the-lessons-but-the-student-ultimately/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“Start the daily practice of joyful living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/start-the-daily-practice-of-joyful-living/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“You have permission to walk away from anything that doesn't feel right. Trust your instincts and listen to your inner-voice — it's trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/you-have-permission-to-walk-away-from-anything-that-doesn-t-feel/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“Fun is not an activity, it is a state of mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/fun-is-not-an-activity-it-is-a-state-of-mind/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“You cannot change another person's mind or educate them; this they must do themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/you-cannot-change-another-person-s-mind-or-educate-them-this-they/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“The public good must come before private interests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-public-good-must-come-before-private-interests/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“Countries, states, cities, corporations and laws are all words on paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/countries-states-cities-corporations-and-laws-are-all-words-on-paper/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“We must remember that nature is the supreme cradle of life, and must be protected and treated with the highest respect and care.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/we-must-remember-that-nature-is-the-supreme-cradle-of-life-and-must/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“The world is not fair, and often fools, cowards, liars and the selfish hide in high places. (p 57)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-world-is-not-fair-and-often-fools-cowards-liars-and-the-selfish/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“Even discomfort or pain delivers awareness of life, and an opportunity for gratitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/even-discomfort-or-pain-delivers-awareness-of-life-and-an-opportunity/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“The secret to unseating great power, is not to move the other direction, but to compete directly against their goals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-secret-to-unseating-great-power-is-not-to-move-the-other/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“In the moments of your deepest need, despair and desperation, what you need more than any other thing, is calm and faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/in-the-moments-of-your-deepest-need-despair-and-desperation-what-you/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“It is essential that you follow your own idea of passion, even if to others it looks like suffering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/it-is-essential-that-you-follow-your-own-idea-of-passion-even-if-to/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“Joy is a practice, not an involuntary state.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/joy-is-a-practice-not-an-involuntary-state/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) [Explore all 1,286 Bryant McGill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) ## More Decency quotes > [Come on, that was no foul! It may be a violation of all the basic rules of human decency, but its not a foul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walton/come-on-that-was-no-foul-it-may-be-a-violation-of-all-the-basic-rules/) [Bill Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walton/) > [Listen, young people, I understand narcissism - clearly. But at least I have the decency to hate myself. And that's what's missing from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/listen-young-people-i-understand-narcissism-clearly-but-at-least-i/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [What's wrong with death sir? What are we so mortally afraid of? Why can't we treat death with a certain amount of humanity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/what-s-wrong-with-death-sir-what-are-we-so-mortally-afraid-of-why-can/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [Don't overestimate the decency of the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/don-t-overestimate-the-decency-of-the-human-race/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Faye, if you got eaten by another shark, would you please at least have the decency to say so? My time is kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-lothlorien/faye-if-you-got-eaten-by-another-shark-would-you-please-at-least-have/) [Elle Lothlorien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-lothlorien/) > [Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense."... "We must treat each man on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/let-the-watchwords-of-all-our-people-be-the-old-familiar-watchwords/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Liberty ... was a two-headed boon. There was first, the liberty of the people as a whole to determine the forms of their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/liberty-was-a-two-headed-boon-there-was-first-the-liberty-of-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [I gather a repulsive nobody writing in a paper no one of any decency would be seen dead with has written something loathesome and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-gather-a-repulsive-nobody-writing-in-a-paper-no-one-of-any-decency/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“The quality of your life ultimately depends on the quality of your relationships . . . which are basically a reflection of your sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/the-quality-of-your-life-ultimately-depends-on-the-quality-of-your/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [“No woman deserves to be treated as little more than your toy. If you feel she is nothing more than a cheap hooker, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-anne/no-woman-deserves-to-be-treated-as-little-more-than-your-toy-if-you/) [Melody Anne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-anne/) > [I am not a member of the chamber of commerce for show business, believe me, but there are some really good people in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-fuller/i-am-not-a-member-of-the-chamber-of-commerce-for-show-business/) [Kurt Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-fuller/) > [Out of all the fighters that I have developed, clothed, financed, Gerrie Coetzee is the only one who had the decency to say 'thanks'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-king/out-of-all-the-fighters-that-i-have-developed-clothed-financed-gerrie/) [Don King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-king/) > [If I see that something is wrong, I don't care who says it. Whether it's a Republican or Democrat, the left or the right.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-aragones/if-i-see-that-something-is-wrong-i-don-t-care-who-says-it-whether-it/) [Sergio Aragones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-aragones/) > [I love our shared island, our shared Ireland and its core decency. I love it for its imagination and its celebration of the endless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-d-higgins/i-love-our-shared-island-our-shared-ireland-and-its-core-decency-i/) [Michael D. Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-d-higgins/) > [I respect a person that has had to fight and howl for his decency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/i-respect-a-person-that-has-had-to-fight-and-howl-for-his-decency/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) [Browse all 559 Decency quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decency/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Almost everything you think is sacred, good and decent, is a lie and an all-out assault against truth and decency.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bryant McGill" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/almost-everything-you-think-is-sacred-good-and-decent-is-a-lie-and-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decency" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/almost-everything-you-think-is-sacred-good-and-decent-is-a-lie-and-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/bryant-mcgill-108_decency_almost-everything-you-think-is-sacred-go_57527.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/bryant-mcgill-108_decency_almost-everything-you-think-is-sacred-go_57527.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/bryant-mcgill-108_decency_almost-everything-you-think-is-sacred-go_57527.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Almost everything you think is sacred, good and decent, is a lie and an all-out assault against truth and…” — Bryant McGill", "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": "Bryant McGill", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Almost everything you think is sacred,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/almost-everything-you-think-is-sacred-good-and-decent-is-a-lie-and-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/almost-everything-you-think-is-sacred-good-and-decent-is-a-lie-and-an/#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 } } ] } ```