--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A truth is what it is. A lie, a thought…" description: "\"A truth is what it is. A lie, a thought out deception more brutal than a truth could ever be.\" — Charlotte Armstrong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/charlotte-armstrong-71218_brutal_a-truth-is-what-it-is-a-lie-a-thought-ou_1107433.png" --- # A truth is what it is. A lie, a thought out deception more… ![“A truth is what it is. A lie, a thought out deception more brutal than a truth could ever be.” quote by Charlotte Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/charlotte-armstrong-71218_brutal_a-truth-is-what-it-is-a-lie-a-thought-ou_1107433.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/charlotte-armstrong-71218_brutal_a-truth-is-what-it-is-a-lie-a-thought-ou_1107433.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/charlotte-armstrong-71218_brutal_a-truth-is-what-it-is-a-lie-a-thought-ou_1107433.png) > “A truth is what it is. A lie, a thought out deception more brutal than a truth could ever be.” Charlotte Armstrong ## 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 factual; lies are deceptive and can be more damaging. **In simple terms:** Truth is fact; lies are harmful. Key Takeaway Seek truth, avoid deception. Themes truth deception ethics philosophy Mood critical reflective Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - journalism - law - personal relationships - politics Key Concepts moral reasoning epistemology Questions to Reflect On - What motivates lying? - How to verify truth? A Different Perspective Truth can be subjective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brutal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brutal/) [Brutal truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brutal-truth/) [Deception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deception/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“Deception is brutal, I'm not pretending otherwise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-marber/deception-is-brutal-i-m-not-pretending-otherwise/) [Patrick Marber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-marber/) > [“And that’s the way of time fucking with you. Making a lie out of every thought you think. Deforming truth with the certainty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-sheehan/and-that-s-the-way-of-time-fucking-with-you-making-a-lie-out-of-every/) Jason Sheehan > [When I was young, an eccentric uncle decided to teach me how to lie. Not, he explained, because he wanted me to lie, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/when-i-was-young-an-eccentric-uncle-decided-to-teach-me-how-to-lie/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [“It's impeccable how brutal the truth can be at times. You can only admire it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/it-s-impeccable-how-brutal-the-truth-can-be-at-times-you-can-only-2/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [I want women writers to write boldly, wildly, deeply. I want them to feel really liberated to tell the brutal truth, however they see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/i-want-women-writers-to-write-boldly-wildly-deeply-i-want-them-to/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [Understand now what lying is. Any species of designed deception. If the deception is not designed it is not lying. But if you design…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-grandison-finney/understand-now-what-lying-is-any-species-of-designed-deception-if-the/) [Charles Grandison Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-grandison-finney/) > [The truth will show if a lie has been spoke and lies will forever conceal once the truth is revealed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-will-show-if-a-lie-has-been-spoke-and-lies-will-forever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“...you could also hear the other, some young soldier speaking in all bloody innocence, saying, 'All that's just a load, man. 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Truth never loses by the one but often suffers by the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/inquiry-is-human-blind-obedience-brutal-truth-never-loses-by-the-one/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > ['Rapper's Delight' came from the TV entertainment show 'Good Times,' but when the times called for a shift in the narrative, artists answered, covering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stoute/rapper-s-delight-came-from-the-tv-entertainment-show-good-times-but/) [Steve Stoute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stoute/) > [“For a year, Johnny lived the new, brutal truth that he was on his own. But that's the way it was. What had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hart/for-a-year-johnny-lived-the-new-brutal-truth-that-he-was-on-his-own/) [John Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hart/) > [“These are days of brutal truth from Tyndale. Saints are not your friends and they will not protect you. They cannot help you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/these-are-days-of-brutal-truth-from-tyndale-saints-are-not-your/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [“ The needy child voice inside me said, If she says you’re a nut, then you must be a nut. She’s your mother, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaylie-jones/the-needy-child-voice-inside-me-said-if-she-says-you-re-a-nut-then/) [Kaylie Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaylie-jones/) > [“You want to know what the saddest part is Tess?” I said, sounding choked up. “What’s that Josh?” I felt my heart constricting as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-richardson/you-want-to-know-what-the-saddest-part-is-tess-i-said-sounding-choked/) [Angela Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-richardson/) ## More by Charlotte Armstrong > [Death sanctifies. It's solemn enough to make its own shrine, where it happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-armstrong/death-sanctifies-it-s-solemn-enough-to-make-its-own-shrine-where-it/) Charlotte Armstrong > [disrespectful words cannot entirely be eaten, ever. Respect is a kind of Humpty Dumpty. All the king's horses can't put it all the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-armstrong/disrespectful-words-cannot-entirely-be-eaten-ever-respect-is-a-kind/) Charlotte Armstrong > [Coincidence means only a connection that's not seen. Roots meet underground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-armstrong/coincidence-means-only-a-connection-that-s-not-seen-roots-meet/) Charlotte Armstrong Explore all 4 Charlotte Armstrong quotes ## More Brutal quotes > [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. 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I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-stahl/in-my-experience-sometimes-the-darker-the-material-that-you-re-doing/) [Nick Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-stahl/) > [I do have one very brutal writing ritual. If I'm working in the morning, I don't allow myself a cup of tea until I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-lane/i-do-have-one-very-brutal-writing-ritual-if-i-m-working-in-the/) [Anthony Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-lane/) > [The circle of an empty day is brutal and at night it tightens around your neck like a noose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/the-circle-of-an-empty-day-is-brutal-and-at-night-it-tightens-around/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“I had brutal beginnings. I will not let the darkness in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jennings/i-had-brutal-beginnings-i-will-not-let-the-darkness-in/) [Melissa Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jennings/) > [Usually I avoided college students, whom I considered brutal, wrapped up in themselves, particularly in their youth, in which they found material for drama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/usually-i-avoided-college-students-whom-i-considered-brutal-wrapped/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 790 Brutal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brutal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A truth is what it is. 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