--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be persuasive we must be believable…" description: "\"“To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be creditable; to be credible we must be truthful.”\" — Edward R. Murrow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f55/edward-r-murrow-7369_persuasion_to-be-persuasive-we-must-be-believable-t_984235.jpg" --- # To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable… ![“To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be creditable; to be credible we must be truthful.” quote by Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f55/edward-r-murrow-7369_persuasion_to-be-persuasive-we-must-be-believable-t_984235.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f55/edward-r-murrow-7369_persuasion_to-be-persuasive-we-must-be-believable-t_984235.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f55/edward-r-murrow-7369_persuasion_to-be-persuasive-we-must-be-believable-t_984235.jpg) > ““To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be creditable; to be credible we must be truthful.”” [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Persuasion depends on credibility, which rests on truthfulness and reliability. **In simple terms:** Truth builds credibility. Key Takeaway Speak truthfully to be persuasive. Themes communication ethics trust media integrity Mood reflective serious Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - journalism - public speaking - advertising - political discourse Key Concepts credibility authenticity integrity Questions to Reflect On - What steps restore trust after a mistake? - How does audience bias affect perceived credibility? A Different Perspective Credibility can be damaged by past errors, making recovery difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Persuasion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persuasion/) [Persuasive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persuasive/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truthfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truthfulness/) ## Related quotes > [To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/to-be-persuasive-we-must-be-believable-to-be-believable-we-must-be-3/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [“To be persuasive, We must be believable, To be believable, We must be credible, To be credible, We must be truthful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/to-be-persuasive-we-must-be-believable-to-be-believable-we-must-be-2/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [To be credible we must be truthful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/to-be-credible-we-must-be-truthful/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [American traditions and the American ethic require us to be truthful, but the most important reason is that truth is the best propaganda and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/american-traditions-and-the-american-ethic-require-us-to-be-truthful/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [A statement is persuasive and credible either because it is directly self-evident or because it appears to be proved from other statements that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/a-statement-is-persuasive-and-credible-either-because-it-is-directly/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Knowing things halfway is a greater success than knowing things completely: it takes things to be simpler than they really are andso makes its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/knowing-things-halfway-is-a-greater-success-than-knowing-things/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I am not unconscious of the persuasive power exerted by these considerations to drag men along in the current; but I am not at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-f-wade/i-am-not-unconscious-of-the-persuasive-power-exerted-by-these/) [Benjamin F. 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If someone were addressing your point, what tone, what overall approach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/the-most-important-guideline-when-it-comes-to-argument-is-the-golden/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [Keep the corners of your mouth turned up. Speak in a low, persuasive tone. Listen; be teachable. Laugh at good stories and learn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/keep-the-corners-of-your-mouth-turned-up-speak-in-a-low-persuasive/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) ## More by Edward R. Murrow > [Tuberculosis, starvation, fatigue, and there are many who have no desire to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/tuberculosis-starvation-fatigue-and-there-are-many-who-have-no-desire/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [A thing of orchestrated hell-a terrible symphony of light and flame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/a-thing-of-orchestrated-hell-a-terrible-symphony-of-light-and-flame/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [“A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/a-great-many-people-think-they-are-thinking-when-they-are-really/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [American traditions and the American ethic require us to be truthful, but the most important reason is that truth is the best propaganda and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/american-traditions-and-the-american-ethic-require-us-to-be-truthful/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [We are in the same tent as the clowns and the freaks-that's show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/we-are-in-the-same-tent-as-the-clowns-and-the-freaks-that-s-show/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [When the politicians complain that TV turns the proceedings into a circus, it should be made clear that the circus was already there, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/when-the-politicians-complain-that-tv-turns-the-proceedings-into-a/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [Most truths are so naked that people feel sorry for them and cover them up, at least a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/most-truths-are-so-naked-that-people-feel-sorry-for-them-and-cover/) [Edward R. 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Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/we-must-not-confuse-dissent-with-disloyalty/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/we-have-currently-a-built-in-allergy-to-unpleasant-or-disturbing/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [Don't be deluded into believing that the titular heads of the networks control what appears on their networks. They all have better taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/don-t-be-deluded-into-believing-that-the-titular-heads-of-the/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [Our history will be what we make of it. If we go on as we are, then history will take its revenge and retribution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/our-history-will-be-what-we-make-of-it-if-we-go-on-as-we-are-then/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) > [I have said, and I believe, that potentially we have in this country a free enterprise system of radio and television which is superior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/i-have-said-and-i-believe-that-potentially-we-have-in-this-country-a/) [Edward R. Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) [Explore all 92 Edward R. Murrow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-r-murrow/) ## More Credible quotes > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/) [George W. 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