--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A small lie, if it actually is a lie…" description: "\"A small lie, if it actually is a lie, condemns a man as much as a big and black falsehood. If a man will deliberately cheat to the amount of a single c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be9/edwin-hubbel-chapin-1652_amount_a-small-lie-if-it-actually-is-a-lie-cond_2718908.png" --- # A small lie, if it actually is a lie, condemns a man as… ![“A small lie, if it actually is a lie, condemns a man as much as a big and black falsehood. If a man will deliberately cheat to the amount of a single cent, give him opportunity and he would cheat to any amount.” quote by Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be9/edwin-hubbel-chapin-1652_amount_a-small-lie-if-it-actually-is-a-lie-cond_2718908.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be9/edwin-hubbel-chapin-1652_amount_a-small-lie-if-it-actually-is-a-lie-cond_2718908.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be9/edwin-hubbel-chapin-1652_amount_a-small-lie-if-it-actually-is-a-lie-cond_2718908.png) > “A small lie, if it actually is a lie, condemns a man as much as a big and black falsehood. If a man will deliberately cheat to the amount of a single cent, give him opportunity and he would cheat to any amount.” [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A minor lie can damage reputation as much as a major falsehood; even small cheating escalates when opportunity is given. **In simple terms:** Small lies hurt as much as big ones. Key Takeaway Beware even tiny dishonesty. Themes ethics trust reputation Mood cautious reflective Type moral philosophical When to use this quote - business - personal relationships - finance Key Concepts integrity human nature Questions to Reflect On - How do you guard against small temptations? - Can trust be rebuilt after a minor lie? A Different Perspective Even tiny lies can spiral into larger deceit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Falsehood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsehood/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) ## Related quotes > [“And yet, she suddenly wondered, should you actually lie about how much Proust you've read?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-yet-she-suddenly-wondered-should-you-actually-lie-about-how-much/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [I lied about my age... I am actually 101 years old ... 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All I really want to know is why I wasn't enough to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/this-isn-t-a-lie-actually-i-don-t-care-why-edward-left-all-i-really/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [It's better to have your blackness taken away than to stand and lie about who you actually are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/it-s-better-to-have-your-blackness-taken-away-than-to-stand-and-lie/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“that’s just a small lie in a forest of hundreds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-croft/that-s-just-a-small-lie-in-a-forest-of-hundreds/) [Kathryn Croft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-croft/) > [A small lie needs a bodyguard of bigger lies to protect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-small-lie-needs-a-bodyguard-of-bigger-lies-to-protect-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“No,” I said. It was a small lie. 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