---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If it's not true, don't say it; if it's…"
description: "\"If it's not true, don't say it; if it's not right, don't do it.\" — David Puttnam"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/david-puttnam-28550_funny_if-it-s-not-true-don-t-say-it-if-it-s-no_2268551.jpg"
---

#  If it's not true, don't say it; if it's not right, don't…

![“If it's not true, don't say it; if it's not right, don't do it.” quote by David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/david-puttnam-28550_funny_if-it-s-not-true-don-t-say-it-if-it-s-no_2268551.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/david-puttnam-28550_funny_if-it-s-not-true-don-t-say-it-if-it-s-no_2268551.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/david-puttnam-28550_funny_if-it-s-not-true-don-t-say-it-if-it-s-no_2268551.jpg)

> “If it's not true, don't say it; if it's not right, don't do it.”

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Speak truthfully and act ethically; avoid falsehoods and wrongdoing.

**In simple terms:** Tell truth, do right.

Key Takeaway

Live with integrity.

Themes

ethics honesty responsibility

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- business decisions
- personal conduct
- leadership

Key Concepts

moral philosophy integrity

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you faced a moral dilemma?
- How do you decide what is right?

A Different Perspective

Complex situations may blur truth and right.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/)

## Related quotes

> [“If it's not right, don't do it; if it's not true, don't speak it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/if-it-s-not-right-don-t-do-it-if-it-s-not-true-don-t-speak-it/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [“Hey, if you want something done right, don't ask me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/si-robertson/hey-if-you-want-something-done-right-don-t-ask-me/)

[Si Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/si-robertson/)

> [This is true don't let people bring you down..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/this-is-true-don-t-let-people-bring-you-down/)

[Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/)

> [Stay true to yourself, if you don't who will?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morrigan-moytirra/stay-true-to-yourself-if-you-don-t-who-will/)

Morrigan Moytirra

> [Stay true to who you are. Don't let anyone else define you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-ramirez/stay-true-to-who-you-are-don-t-let-anyone-else-define-you/)

[Sara Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-ramirez/)

> [“Which one is the true one, I don’t ask, they don’t tell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/which-one-is-the-true-one-i-don-t-ask-they-don-t-tell/)

[Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/)

> [Is it true that if you don’t USE it you LOSE it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/is-it-true-that-if-you-don-t-use-it-you-lose-it/)

[Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/)

> [Flattery is all right if you don't inhale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adlai-e-stevenson-2/flattery-is-all-right-if-you-don-t-inhale/)

[Adlai E Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adlai-e-stevenson-2/)

> [“Do it right or don't do it at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-bybee/do-it-right-or-don-t-do-it-at-all/)

[Catherine Bybee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-bybee/)

> [Right don't judge him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/right-don-t-judge-him/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If I can do things right, I don't see why everyone else can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-summers/if-i-can-do-things-right-i-don-t-see-why-everyone-else-can-t/)

[Courtney Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-summers/)

> [So we're all right, an' I, for one, Don't think our cause'll lose in vally By rammin' Scriptur' in our gun, An' gittin' Natur'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/so-we-re-all-right-an-i-for-one-don-t-think-our-cause-ll-lose-in/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [If I don't feel right about what I'm in, I don't feel right about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-midler/if-i-don-t-feel-right-about-what-i-m-in-i-don-t-feel-right-about/)

[Bette Midler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-midler/)

> [I have a new television show in the works, and that is all I can say right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-stone/i-have-a-new-television-show-in-the-works-and-that-is-all-i-can-say/)

[Angie Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-stone/)

> [If I had a choice, I'd say I'm right-handed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-conley-jr/if-i-had-a-choice-i-d-say-i-m-right-handed/)

[Mike Conley Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-conley-jr/)

## More by David Puttnam

> [Film and the other creative industries are being transformed by digital technologies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/film-and-the-other-creative-industries-are-being-transformed-by/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [There's always a miasma of misinformation emerging from the higher education sector as to which are the 'best' courses to take. My advice would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/there-s-always-a-miasma-of-misinformation-emerging-from-the-higher/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [There is no education system in the world - none at all - that's better than its average teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/there-is-no-education-system-in-the-world-none-at-all-that-s-better/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [Without any doubt at all, teacher quality is the fundamental differentiator. Not just, incidentally, of education, but I would argue, probably the biggest single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/without-any-doubt-at-all-teacher-quality-is-the-fundamental/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [A country that fails to value its teachers, fails to value its future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/a-country-that-fails-to-value-its-teachers-fails-to-value-its-future/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [I absolutely refuse to accept the fact that any country in the world goes into a kind of film-making crisis. What happens is they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/i-absolutely-refuse-to-accept-the-fact-that-any-country-in-the-world/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [The most important thing I think teachers can do for young people is to make them inquiring, is to ensure that they know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/the-most-important-thing-i-think-teachers-can-do-for-young-people-is/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [At least in the West, politicians, corporations and media moguls can no longer take for granted their power to control the public discourse -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/at-least-in-the-west-politicians-corporations-and-media-moguls-can-no/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [Newspapers and their editors have to become as accountable as the rest of us - they are not 'a special case,' and they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/newspapers-and-their-editors-have-to-become-as-accountable-as-the/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [I'm not naive enough to pretend that on its own cinema can capture the very soul of significant social and cultural problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/i-m-not-naive-enough-to-pretend-that-on-its-own-cinema-can-capture/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [In the U.K., the history of regulation, certainly regulation of the media, is one in which, time and again, successive governments lacked the 'bottle'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/in-the-u-k-the-history-of-regulation-certainly-regulation-of-the/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [As intelligent and responsible filmmakers, working in a free society, we have a duty to ensure that our chosen medium is a force for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/as-intelligent-and-responsible-filmmakers-working-in-a-free-society/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [A vital step for the technology sector is to signpost legitimate search options far more clearly and to delete links to sites that promote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/a-vital-step-for-the-technology-sector-is-to-signpost-legitimate/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [What is certain is that plurality and diversity are not, and never can be, a natural 'byproduct' of unregulated market forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/what-is-certain-is-that-plurality-and-diversity-are-not-and-never-can/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

> [My belief is that no movie, nothing in life, leaves people neutral. You either leave them up or you leave them down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/my-belief-is-that-no-movie-nothing-in-life-leaves-people-neutral-you/)

[David Puttnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

[Explore all 19 David Puttnam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/)

## More Funny quotes

> [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/)

[Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/)

[Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/)

> [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [Sometimes I look at my awesome twitter followers &amp; think to myself, What the hell would I do without them :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/sometimes-i-look-at-my-awesome-twitter-followers-think-to-myself-what/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/)

[Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/)

> [Congratulations to Facebook on going public with all my private information...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-to-facebook-on-going-public-with-all-my-private/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Why are things as they are and not otherwise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/why-are-things-as-they-are-and-not-otherwise/)

[Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/)

> [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/)

[Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/)

> [Penis goes in , sperms cums out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/penis-goes-in-sperms-cums-out/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/)

[Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/)

> [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/)

Pancho Barnes

> [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/)

[Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/)

> [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/)

Michael Fishman

[Browse all 39,858 Funny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If it's not true, don't say it; if it's not right, don't do it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Puttnam"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/if-it-s-not-true-don-t-say-it-if-it-s-not-right-don-t-do-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Funny"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/if-it-s-not-true-don-t-say-it-if-it-s-not-right-don-t-do-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/david-puttnam-28550_funny_if-it-s-not-true-don-t-say-it-if-it-s-no_2268551.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/david-puttnam-28550_funny_if-it-s-not-true-don-t-say-it-if-it-s-no_2268551.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07a/david-puttnam-28550_funny_if-it-s-not-true-don-t-say-it-if-it-s-no_2268551.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If it's not true, don't say it; if it's not right, don't do it.” — David Puttnam",
                "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": "David Puttnam",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-puttnam/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If it's not true, don't say...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/if-it-s-not-true-don-t-say-it-if-it-s-not-right-don-t-do-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-puttnam/if-it-s-not-true-don-t-say-it-if-it-s-not-right-don-t-do-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
