--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anyone who claims to be good at lying is…" description: "\"Anyone who claims to be good at lying is obviously bad at lying. Thus - as a writer myself - I cannot comment on whether or not writers are exceptional..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7f/chuck-klosterman-804_be-good_anyone-who-claims-to-be-good-at-lying-is_82362.png" --- # Anyone who claims to be good at lying is obviously bad at… ![“Anyone who claims to be good at lying is obviously bad at lying. Thus - as a writer myself - I cannot comment on whether or not writers are exceptionally good liars, because whatever I said would actually mean its complete opposite.” quote by Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7f/chuck-klosterman-804_be-good_anyone-who-claims-to-be-good-at-lying-is_82362.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7f/chuck-klosterman-804_be-good_anyone-who-claims-to-be-good-at-lying-is_82362.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7f/chuck-klosterman-804_be-good_anyone-who-claims-to-be-good-at-lying-is_82362.png) > “Anyone who claims to be good at lying is obviously bad at lying. Thus - as a writer myself - I cannot comment on whether or not writers are exceptionally good liars, because whatever I said would actually mean its complete opposite.” [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑referential paradox highlighting that skill in deception undermines credibility, especially for writers who claim expertise in lying. **In simple terms:** Skill in lying negates credibility. Key Takeaway Claiming expertise in deceit is self‑defeating. Themes paradox self‑awareness credibility communication irony Mood wry reflective cynical Type aphor paradoxical When to use this quote - writing critique - public speaking - media analysis - personal branding Key Concepts deception authenticity meta‑commentary Practical Applications - critical essay - satirical commentary Questions to Reflect On - How does claiming expertise affect trust? - Can honesty be more persuasive than clever deceit? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complete opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complete-opposites/) [Liars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liars/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Actors are good liars; writers are good liars with good memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keys-moran/actors-are-good-liars-writers-are-good-liars-with-good-memories/) [Daniel Keys Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keys-moran/) > [Being a practiced liar doesn't mean you have a powerful imagination. Many good liars have no imagination at all; it's that which gives their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/being-a-practiced-liar-doesn-t-mean-you-have-a-powerful-imagination/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [All men are liars, said Roberta Muldoon, who knew this was true because she had once been a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/all-men-are-liars-said-roberta-muldoon-who-knew-this-was-true-because/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Cucumber and bergamot," Clary said. "Is there anything else you hate that I ought to know about?" Jace looked at Dorothea over the rim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/cucumber-and-bergamot-clary-said-is-there-anything-else-you-hate-that/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“I’m only doing this,” he said, “because I really love hiding in haunted Eldren buildings on dark and creepy nights.” “You’re a liar,” said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/i-m-only-doing-this-he-said-because-i-really-love-hiding-in-haunted/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [Acting is all about being truthful. I'm really bad at lying. I'm one of the worst liars I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-dehaan/acting-is-all-about-being-truthful-i-m-really-bad-at-lying-i-m-one-of/) [Dane DeHaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-dehaan/) > [That's one of the things I find really bad, is when people not only do injuries to others, but then lie about the others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whit-stillman/that-s-one-of-the-things-i-find-really-bad-is-when-people-not-only-do/) [Whit Stillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whit-stillman/) > [Anybody who says they are a good liar obviously is not, because any legitimately savvy liar would always insist they're honest about everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/anybody-who-says-they-are-a-good-liar-obviously-is-not-because-any/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“his honest eyes that had always been so bad at lying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/his-honest-eyes-that-had-always-been-so-bad-at-lying/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“I felt bad for lying to John, who was about as honest as Abe Lincoln on sodium Pentothal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/i-felt-bad-for-lying-to-john-who-was-about-as-honest-as-abe-lincoln/) [Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/) > [I'm terribly bad at lying in real life. I flush, look away, do the scratching of the nose, or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-wise/i-m-terribly-bad-at-lying-in-real-life-i-flush-look-away-do-the/) [Greg Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-wise/) > [“Eyes aren't good liars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-wiersbitzky/eyes-aren-t-good-liars/) [Shannon Wiersbitzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-wiersbitzky/) > [Girls said boys are good liars. Girls wear over-sized bras and make up to hide their natural face. Practice what you preach, ladies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/girls-said-boys-are-good-liars-girls-wear-over-sized-bras-and-make-up/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Funnii how sum people tell their side of the story, but just becuz you're present when they say it, doesn't mean it's always the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-d/funnii-how-sum-people-tell-their-side-of-the-story-but-just-becuz-you/) Ronnie D > [I've said before that the common perception that all good actors should be good liars is exactly the opposite; only bad actors lie when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-ve-said-before-that-the-common-perception-that-all-good-actors/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) ## More by Chuck Klosterman > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“I suppose we'll never know what really happened in that room, though he did tell police, "I did it because I'm a dirty dog."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/i-suppose-we-ll-never-know-what-really-happened-in-that-room-though/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Do you know people who insist they like 'all kinds of music'? That actually means they like no kinds of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/do-you-know-people-who-insist-they-like-all-kinds-of-music-that/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Let's say Twitter existed during the Civil War. We would have a better understanding of people in the Confederacy who were against slavery, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/let-s-say-twitter-existed-during-the-civil-war-we-would-have-a-better/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [All my friends are rock critics, so we talk about rock criticism a lot. Because of that, in order to be part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/all-my-friends-are-rock-critics-so-we-talk-about-rock-criticism-a-lot/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [If rain is God crying, I think God is drunk and his girlfriend just slept with Zeus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/if-rain-is-god-crying-i-think-god-is-drunk-and-his-girlfriend-just/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [But no matter how many times we re-rank the presidents, in another 200 years, the top presidents will still be Washington and Lincoln and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/but-no-matter-how-many-times-we-re-rank-the-presidents-in-another-200/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Different critics go to different lengths to disagree with that sentiment, but ultimately, they're the person experiencing this art, and whatever judgment or taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/different-critics-go-to-different-lengths-to-disagree-with-that/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [First, you must love yourself. And if you do that convincingly enough, others will love you too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/first-you-must-love-yourself-and-if-you-do-that-convincingly-enough/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“I care about strangers when they're abstractions but feel almost nothing when they are literally in front of me. They seem like unnamed characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/i-care-about-strangers-when-they-re-abstractions-but-feel-almost/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“Toby Keith writes songs like 1993's "Should've Been a Cowboy," and what's compelling is that you can't deconstruct its message. "Should've Been a Cowboy"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/toby-keith-writes-songs-like-1993-s-should-ve-been-a-cowboy-and-what/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Some say that time is like water that flows around us (like a stone in the river) and some say we flow with time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-flows-around-us-like-a-stone-in/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [ \[On political correctness:\] Any intended message mattered less than the received message, and every received message could be interpreted in whatever way the receiver… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/on-political-correctness-any-intended-message-mattered-less-than-the/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [In baseball and sex, cliches are usually true: pitching beats hitting, and people always want to be loved by anyone who doesn't seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/in-baseball-and-sex-cliches-are-usually-true-pitching-beats-hitting/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [A whole bunch of months passed and I didn't hear anything and then he emailed and asked if I could do a little piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/a-whole-bunch-of-months-passed-and-i-didn-t-hear-anything-and-then-he/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) [Explore all 364 Chuck Klosterman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) Randy Anderson > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. 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