--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is much harder to lie to someone's…" description: "\"It is much harder to lie to someone's face. But. It is also much harder to tell the truth to someone's face.\" — David Levithan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/david-levithan-67_faces_it-is-much-harder-to-lie-to-someone-s-fa_53105.jpg" --- # It is much harder to lie to someone's face. But. It is… ![“It is much harder to lie to someone's face. But. It is also much harder to tell the truth to someone's face.” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/david-levithan-67_faces_it-is-much-harder-to-lie-to-someone-s-fa_53105.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/david-levithan-67_faces_it-is-much-harder-to-lie-to-someone-s-fa_53105.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/515/david-levithan-67_faces_it-is-much-harder-to-lie-to-someone-s-fa_53105.jpg) > “It is much harder to lie to someone's face. But. It is also much harder to tell the truth to someone's face.” [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Confronting truth directly is challenging because it risks immediate conflict, yet avoiding honesty can erode trust. **In simple terms:** Truth-telling is harder than lying when face‑to‑face. Key Takeaway Direct honesty demands courage. Themes honesty courage interpersonal dynamics conflict trust Mood reflective serious introspective Type aphorism advice When to use this quote - personal relationships - professional feedback - conflict resolution - negotiations Key Concepts communication integrity vulnerability Practical Applications - coaching - mediation Questions to Reflect On - When have you avoided truth to preserve peace? - What would change if you spoke truth openly? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Face Harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-harder-748295/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harder/) [Harder Lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harder-lie-748292/) [Harder Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harder-tell-748294/) [Lie Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie-face-748293/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Telling the truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-the-truth/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-face-294489/) ## Related quotes > [It is easy to find truth, though it is hard to face it, and harder still to follow it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/it-is-easy-to-find-truth-though-it-is-hard-to-face-it-and-harder/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“A half truth is much worse than a whole lie because it makes it even harder to tell the difference between the two.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-ruyle/a-half-truth-is-much-worse-than-a-whole-lie-because-it-makes-it-even/) [Gene Ruyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-ruyle/) > [“And I'll try harder to always tell you what I'm feeling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaci-burton/and-i-ll-try-harder-to-always-tell-you-what-i-m-feeling/) [Jaci Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaci-burton/) > [Because many of the films I've made have had an intellectualedge, it's harder for me to lie. It's harder for me to go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/because-many-of-the-films-i-ve-made-have-had-an-intellectualedge-it-s/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [“If only it were harder to lie, maybe she could stop. But lying was easy. Well, easier than telling the truth. And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bleeker/if-only-it-were-harder-to-lie-maybe-she-could-stop-but-lying-was-easy/) [Emily Bleeker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bleeker/) > [Life would be so much harder if I had to lie about who I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cheney/life-would-be-so-much-harder-if-i-had-to-lie-about-who-i-was/) [Mary Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cheney/) > [“The truth alone will not set you free, but holding on to the truth in the face of the lie, over and over again,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reimer/the-truth-alone-will-not-set-you-free-but-holding-on-to-the-truth-in/) [Rob Reimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reimer/) > [Being a honest n nice person is most difficult thing in this world. As nobody likes the company of a person that can say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/being-a-honest-n-nice-person-is-most-difficult-thing-in-this-world-as/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A true friend will tell you the truth to your face - not behind your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-azevedo/a-true-friend-will-tell-you-the-truth-to-your-face-not-behind-your/) [Sasha Azevedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-azevedo/) > [If keeping it real going to hurt you ,you might as well run now, because you going to have to run into the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/if-keeping-it-real-going-to-hurt-you-you-might-as-well-run-now/) [Frenchqueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenchqueen/) > [Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-men-would-rather-deny-a-hard-truth-than-face-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe that truth has only one face: that of a violent contradiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-bataille/i-believe-that-truth-has-only-one-face-that-of-a-violent-contradiction/) [Georges Bataille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-bataille/) > [“One who denies the truth cannot go anywhere because he cannot face anything, starting from the many difficulties one already has where one is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-soriano/one-who-denies-the-truth-cannot-go-anywhere-because-he-cannot-face/) [Jocelyn Soriano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-soriano/) > [Face the truth or the truth will face you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/face-the-truth-or-the-truth-will-face-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [For truth has such a face and such a mien, as to be loved needs only to be seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/for-truth-has-such-a-face-and-such-a-mien-as-to-be-loved-needs-only/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) ## More by David Levithan > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. And the simplicity is the sensation of it being just her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-past-and-the-future-are-what-s-complicated-it-s-the-present-that/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Patrick: Is she worth the trouble? Cameron: I thought she was- Patrick: Either she is, or she isn't. 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So many of them live, and we often toast their long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-saw-our-friends-die-but-we-also-see-our-friends-live-so-many-of/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [maybe tonight you're scared of falling, and maybe there's somebody here or somewhere else you're thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/maybe-tonight-you-re-scared-of-falling-and-maybe-there-s-somebody/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You never told me what you saw in him, not convincingly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-never-told-me-what-you-saw-in-him-not-convincingly/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“i nod to the other will grayson, up onstage. he nods to me. we have something between us, him and me. but the truth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-nod-to-the-other-will-grayson-up-onstage-he-nods-to-me-we-have/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [But I still has enough longing for that concept that I didn't want to dispel it completely. Meaning: I didn't want to tell Lily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/but-i-still-has-enough-longing-for-that-concept-that-i-didn-t-want-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When you break someone's heart, you also break yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-break-someone-s-heart-you-also-break-yours/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Because toward the end all the words started leaving. Except for the ones that had to lock up at the end of the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-toward-the-end-all-the-words-started-leaving-except-for-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“ misgivings , n . Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us. "There are things I miss,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/misgivings-n-last-night-i-got-up-the-courage-to-ask-you-if-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) [Explore all 1,648 David Levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More Faces quotes > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [His fingertips slid down from my face, lightly stroking the line of my neck, down toward my shoulder. Everywhere he touched, a trail of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/his-fingertips-slid-down-from-my-face-lightly-stroking-the-line-of-my/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [I've seen every one, from Motley Crue to John Denver, with tears running down my face. I had no idea everyone had such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-nicks/i-ve-seen-every-one-from-motley-crue-to-john-denver-with-tears/) [Stevie Nicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-nicks/) > [So," I said. "Seems you're going to be stuck with me for a while." He smiled. A real smile that lit up his whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/so-i-said-seems-you-re-going-to-be-stuck-with-me-for-a-while-he/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/) [Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/) > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [If enough money is involved and enough people believe that two plus two equals five the media will report the story with a straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/if-enough-money-is-involved-and-enough-people-believe-that-two-plus/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Here comes old Rosie she's looking mighty fine, here comes hot Nancy she's steppin' right on time. There go the street lights bringing on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/here-comes-old-rosie-she-s-looking-mighty-fine-here-comes-hot-nancy/) [Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/) > [A face is too slight a foundation for happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wortley-montagu/a-face-is-too-slight-a-foundation-for-happiness/) [Mary Wortley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wortley-montagu/) > [ That's probably why my face was looking so crazy when I was crying \[in "Hardball"\] because it was some real. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-b-jordan/that-s-probably-why-my-face-was-looking-so-crazy-when-i-was-crying-in/) [Michael B. Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-b-jordan/) > [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) [Browse all 13,128 Faces quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is much harder to lie to someone's face. But. 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