--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Roosevelt is dead: a man who would never…" description: "\"“Roosevelt is dead: a man who would never tell the truth when a lie would serve him just as well.”\" — Douglas MacArthur" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/990/douglas-macarthur-2344_roosevelt_roosevelt-is-dead-a-man-who-would-never_1348237.png" --- # Roosevelt is dead: a man who would never tell the truth… ![“Roosevelt is dead: a man who would never tell the truth when a lie would serve him just as well.” quote by Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/990/douglas-macarthur-2344_roosevelt_roosevelt-is-dead-a-man-who-would-never_1348237.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/990/douglas-macarthur-2344_roosevelt_roosevelt-is-dead-a-man-who-would-never_1348237.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/990/douglas-macarthur-2344_roosevelt_roosevelt-is-dead-a-man-who-would-never_1348237.png) > ““Roosevelt is dead: a man who would never tell the truth when a lie would serve him just as well.”” [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A leader who lies when convenient is as dishonest as one who tells the truth, highlighting the futility of truth‑telling when deception serves. **In simple terms:** Truth and lies can be equally harmful. Key Takeaway Beware falsehoods. Themes integrity leadership truth politics ethics Mood critical serious Type analytical reflective When to use this quote - government service - media analysis - personal decision making - historical study Key Concepts moral philosophy public trust political strategy Questions to Reflect On - How do you assess a leader’s honesty? - What are the consequences of normalized deception? A Different Perspective Context may oversimplify complex political realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lie Serve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie-serve-794943/) [Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roosevelt/) [Roosevelt Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roosevelt-dead-4575551/) [Tell Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-truth/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-lie/) ## Related quotes > [Though I never scruple a lie to serve my Master, it hurts one's conscience to be found out!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/though-i-never-scruple-a-lie-to-serve-my-master-it-hurts-one-s/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [“The right sort of lie, I found, could serve better than the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mcomber/the-right-sort-of-lie-i-found-could-serve-better-than-the-truth/) [Adam McOmber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mcomber/) > [I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie. I believe it is better to be free than to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/i-believe-that-it-is-better-to-tell-the-truth-than-a-lie-i-believe-it/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Those I love go in the direction of what they call the last hour—what Clarice Lispector calls, “the hour of the star,” “the hour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-ne-cixous/those-i-love-go-in-the-direction-of-what-they-call-the-last-hour-what/) [Hélène Cixous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-ne-cixous/) > [Truths ... are too often considered as so true, that they lose all the power of truth, and lie bed-ridden in the dormitory of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/truths-are-too-often-considered-as-so-true-that-they-lose-all-the/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [“This is a simple way to identify the difference between a truth and lie: Does the thought lead you to Christ?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-liebscher/this-is-a-simple-way-to-identify-the-difference-between-a-truth-and/) [Teresa Liebscher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-liebscher/) > [“Cathy did not forget her lies, and she developed the most effective method of lying. She stayed close enough to the truth so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/cathy-did-not-forget-her-lies-and-she-developed-the-most-effective/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [The centre of the tragedy, therefore, may be said with equal truth to lie in action issuing from character, or in character issuing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-bradley/the-centre-of-the-tragedy-therefore-may-be-said-with-equal-truth-to/) [A. C. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-bradley/) > [I sometimes believe his lies are the truth, but I have never mistaken his truth for a lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/i-sometimes-believe-his-lies-are-the-truth-but-i-have-never-mistaken/) [Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/) > [The germs of all truth lie in the soul, and when the ripe moment comes, the truth within answers to the fact without as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-wright-mabie/the-germs-of-all-truth-lie-in-the-soul-and-when-the-ripe-moment-comes/) [Hamilton Wright Mabie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-wright-mabie/) > [“Children are naive, they don’t possess enough skills to be able to recognize the balance between the truth and a lie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/children-are-naive-they-don-t-possess-enough-skills-to-be-able-to/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [When you deliberately distort and selectively present the truth, you lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kirk/when-you-deliberately-distort-and-selectively-present-the-truth-you/) [Charlie Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kirk/) > [“I have heard it said that if you tell a lie often enough, loudly enough, and long enough, the myth will become accepted as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/i-have-heard-it-said-that-if-you-tell-a-lie-often-enough-loudly/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [It's always the truth, until it becomes the lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghav-upmanyu/it-s-always-the-truth-until-it-becomes-the-lie/) [Raghav Upmanyu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghav-upmanyu/) > [“The easy truth is as much a lie as any.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-martin/the-easy-truth-is-as-much-a-lie-as-any/) [Sasha Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-martin/) ## More by Douglas MacArthur > [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil—soil consecrated in the blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/people-of-the-philippines-i-have-returned-by-the-grace-of-almighty/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I stand on this rostrum with a sense of deep humility and great pride - humility in the weight of those great American architects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-stand-on-this-rostrum-with-a-sense-of-deep-humility-and-great-pride/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Our country is now geared to an arms economy bred in an artificially induced psychosis of war hysteria and an incessant propaganda of fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/our-country-is-now-geared-to-an-arms-economy-bred-in-an-artificially/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [If I had one more division like this First Marine Division I could win this war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/if-i-had-one-more-division-like-this-first-marine-division-i-could/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/however-horrible-the-incidents-of-war-may-be-the-soldier-who-is/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [While Asia is commonly referred to as the Gateway to Europe, it is no less true that Europe is the Gateway to Asia, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/while-asia-is-commonly-referred-to-as-the-gateway-to-europe-it-is-no/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I believe that the entire effort of modern society should be concentrated on the endeavor to outlaw war as a method of the solution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-believe-that-the-entire-effort-of-modern-society-should-be/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [In war, as it is waged now, with the enormous losses on both sides, both sides will lose. It is a form of mutual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/in-war-as-it-is-waged-now-with-the-enormous-losses-on-both-sides-both/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-am-concerned-for-the-security-of-our-great-nation-not-so-much/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I've looked that old scoundrel death in the eye many times but this time I think he has me on the ropes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-ve-looked-that-old-scoundrel-death-in-the-eye-many-times-but-this/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/age-wrinkles-the-body-quitting-wrinkles-the-soul/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [For those to whom much is given, much is required. It is not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/for-those-to-whom-much-is-given-much-is-required-it-is-not-whether/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [In war, you win or lose, live or die - and the difference is just an eyelash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/in-war-you-win-or-lose-live-or-die-and-the-difference-is-just-an/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Beware not the enemy from 'without' but the enemy from 'within'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/beware-not-the-enemy-from-without-but-the-enemy-from-within/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) [Explore all 171 Douglas MacArthur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) ## More Roosevelt quotes > [To meet Roosevelt with all his buoyant sparkle, his iridescence, was like opening a bottle of champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/to-meet-roosevelt-with-all-his-buoyant-sparkle-his-iridescence-was/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [You may not like Mr. Roosevelt, but if he loss the war, we all lose it with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-davis/you-may-not-like-mr-roosevelt-but-if-he-loss-the-war-we-all-lose-it/) [Elmer Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-davis/) > [I was born during the Depression in a little community just outside Waco, and I grew up listening to Franklin Roosevelt on the radio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-richards/i-was-born-during-the-depression-in-a-little-community-just-outside/) [Ann Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-richards/) > [People will love him (Theodore Roosevelt) for the enemies he has made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/people-will-love-him-theodore-roosevelt-for-the-enemies-he-has-made/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [“Yet there was no doubt that Theodore Roosevelt was peculiarly qualified to be President of all the people. Few, if any Americans could match…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-morris/yet-there-was-no-doubt-that-theodore-roosevelt-was-peculiarly/) [Edmund Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-morris/) > [“Given my druthers now, I’d prefer a snapshot of Warren Harding’s wife, “the Duchess,” who recorded the smallest offenses in a little red notebook…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/given-my-druthers-now-i-d-prefer-a-snapshot-of-warren-harding-s-wife/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [You know who was a hero? Franklin Roosevelt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-know-who-was-a-hero-franklin-roosevelt/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“All the cartoonists at heart liked him, and there was seldom or never anything bitter or really unfriendly in their portrayals of him; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/all-the-cartoonists-at-heart-liked-him-and-there-was-seldom-or-never/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [The only President who clearly died of overwork was Polk, and that was a long time ago. Hoover, who worked intensely and humorlessly as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-only-president-who-clearly-died-of-overwork-was-polk-and-that-was/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [If Roosevelt were alive he'd turn in his grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn-jr/if-roosevelt-were-alive-he-d-turn-in-his-grave/) [Samuel Goldwyn, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn-jr/) > [I think Franklin Roosevelt was a lousy president. What he did- which is to impose this great nanny state on America- was a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-crane/i-think-franklin-roosevelt-was-a-lousy-president-what-he-did-which-is/) [Ed Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-crane/) > [“Speak softly, but carry a big stick. —Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. president”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/speak-softly-but-carry-a-big-stick-theodore-roosevelt-u-s-president/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [ I think the fact that she \[Eleanor Roosevelt\] was a woman probably in those days would have been an additional criticism, although first ladies… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-rusher/i-think-the-fact-that-she-eleanor-roosevelt-was-a-woman-probably-in/) [William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-rusher/) > [“Certain bird species—herons, terns and ibises, for example—mesmerized Roosevelt. As president he insisted that killing one of these Florida exotics was a federal crime.”5”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-p-marra/certain-bird-species-herons-terns-and-ibises-for-example-mesmerized/) [Peter P. Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-p-marra/) > [I don't identify with her, but I highly admire Eleanor Roosevelt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-identify-with-her-but-i-highly-admire-eleanor-roosevelt/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) [Browse all 283 Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roosevelt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Roosevelt is dead: a man who would never tell the truth when a lie would serve him just as well.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas MacArthur" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/roosevelt-is-dead-a-man-who-would-never-tell-the-truth-when-a-lie/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Roosevelt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/roosevelt-is-dead-a-man-who-would-never-tell-the-truth-when-a-lie/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/990/douglas-macarthur-2344_roosevelt_roosevelt-is-dead-a-man-who-would-never_1348237.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/990/douglas-macarthur-2344_roosevelt_roosevelt-is-dead-a-man-who-would-never_1348237.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/990/douglas-macarthur-2344_roosevelt_roosevelt-is-dead-a-man-who-would-never_1348237.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Roosevelt is dead: a man who would never tell the truth when a lie would serve him just as well.” — Douglas MacArthur", "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": "Douglas MacArthur", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Roosevelt is dead: a man who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/roosevelt-is-dead-a-man-who-would-never-tell-the-truth-when-a-lie/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/roosevelt-is-dead-a-man-who-would-never-tell-the-truth-when-a-lie/#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 } } ] } ```