--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes we have to lie so that we do…" description: "\"Sometimes we have to lie so that we do not needlessly hurt others. The important thing is that we are honest with ourselves. That we know how to bend w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/f-sionil-jos-2399_honest_sometimes-we-have-to-lie-so-that-we-do-n_763069.png" --- # Sometimes we have to lie so that we do not needlessly hurt… ![“Sometimes we have to lie so that we do not needlessly hurt others. The important thing is that we are honest with ourselves. That we know how to bend without breaking ourselves. -Crepusculo Lepidoptera” quote by F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/f-sionil-jos-2399_honest_sometimes-we-have-to-lie-so-that-we-do-n_763069.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/f-sionil-jos-2399_honest_sometimes-we-have-to-lie-so-that-we-do-n_763069.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/f-sionil-jos-2399_honest_sometimes-we-have-to-lie-so-that-we-do-n_763069.png) > “Sometimes we have to lie so that we do not needlessly hurt others. The important thing is that we are honest with ourselves. That we know how to bend without breaking ourselves. -Crepusculo Lepidoptera” [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing honesty with compassion sometimes requires gentle deception to protect others while staying true to oneself. **In simple terms:** Sometimes we must lie to avoid hurting others, yet stay honest inside. Key Takeaway Protect others gently, stay self‑honest. Themes ethics self‑care communication Mood reflective empathetic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - conflict resolution - leadership - counseling Key Concepts moral compromise self‑integrity Questions to Reflect On - When is it acceptable to protect a truth? - How can you maintain integrity while protecting feelings? A Different Perspective Such lies can erode trust if overused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Hurt Others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-others/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Everybody gets hurt. Sometimes a big hurt, sometimes a little hurt. What's important is being able to get over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhiess-krieg/everybody-gets-hurt-sometimes-a-big-hurt-sometimes-a-little-hurt-what/) [Jhiess Krieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhiess-krieg/) > [... when we are hurt it is important to remember that God Himself has allowed it for a purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/when-we-are-hurt-it-is-important-to-remember-that-god-himself-has/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [I wouldn't change anything because the mistakes and the hurt are as important as all the great fights. They made me who I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-leonard/i-wouldn-t-change-anything-because-the-mistakes-and-the-hurt-are-as/) [Sugar Ray Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-leonard/) > [I wouldnt change anything because the mistakes and the hurt are as important as all the great fights. They made me who I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-leonard/i-wouldnt-change-anything-because-the-mistakes-and-the-hurt-are-as/) [Sugar Ray Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-leonard/) > [I'm not going to get myself hurt." I'm too important to let that happen. ~Jaypaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hunter/i-m-not-going-to-get-myself-hurt-i-m-too-important-to-let-that-happen/) [Erin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hunter/) > [Everybody makes honest mistakes, but there's no such thing as an honest cover-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-there-s-no-such-thing-as-an/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [“I have often wondered whether it is really a good thing to be honest by nature and upbringing; certainly it is not a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/i-have-often-wondered-whether-it-is-really-a-good-thing-to-be-honest/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [The important thing is to be honest and always tell people the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-onana/the-important-thing-is-to-be-honest-and-always-tell-people-the-truth/) [Andre Onana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-onana/) > [For me the important thing is I have four honest lads in front of me who give their everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasper-schmeichel/for-me-the-important-thing-is-i-have-four-honest-lads-in-front-of-me/) [Kasper Schmeichel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasper-schmeichel/) > [I want to go to bed richer than when I woke up. The pursuit of wealth is a wonderful thing, but the thing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/i-want-to-go-to-bed-richer-than-when-i-woke-up-the-pursuit-of-wealth/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [The thing about us is we're honest. If we're asked whether we take drugs, we say yes. I was brought up by my mom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/the-thing-about-us-is-we-re-honest-if-we-re-asked-whether-we-take/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [“I just think if you don't say the honest thing, sometimes the honest thing never becomes true, you know, and I-”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-think-if-you-don-t-say-the-honest-thing-sometimes-the-honest/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Also, I’m not going to be devastated or anything either way. I’m not that kind of person. I just think if you don’t say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green-david-levithan/also-i-m-not-going-to-be-devastated-or-anything-either-way-i-m-not/) John Green David Levithan > [He who says there is no such thing as an honest man, you may be sure is himself a knave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-berkeley/he-who-says-there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-honest-man-you-may-be-sure/) [George Berkeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-berkeley/) > [The good thing is that I'm always honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-linney/the-good-thing-is-that-i-m-always-honest/) [Laura Linney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-linney/) ## More by F. Sionil José > [“There is nothing like the land you belong to claiming you back. But everywhere the earth is the same. -Old David”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/there-is-nothing-like-the-land-you-belong-to-claiming-you-back-but/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [“Indeed time has that ultimate capacity to render the passions of the past when recalled in the present as no more than grandiloquent gestures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/indeed-time-has-that-ultimate-capacity-to-render-the-passions-of-the/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Class - or the economic status of individuals - is evident in all societies, some very well stratified by a rigid caste system determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/class-or-the-economic-status-of-individuals-is-evident-in-all/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [We write from life and call it literature, and literature lives because we are in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/we-write-from-life-and-call-it-literature-and-literature-lives/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [I can imagine the writers of China, England and France, crippled and unsure of themselves when they feel that the ghosts of Confucius, Mencius,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/i-can-imagine-the-writers-of-china-england-and-france-crippled-and/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Always remember: the alleviation of poverty is never a political or economic issue - it is moral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/always-remember-the-alleviation-of-poverty-is-never-a-political-or/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [In the end, religion teaches us to value truth, justice and freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/in-the-end-religion-teaches-us-to-value-truth-justice-and-freedom/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [My reading of philosophy and history is desultory; I know so much and yet so little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/my-reading-of-philosophy-and-history-is-desultory-i-know-so-much-and/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Life is always sad. That's what makes suicide so tempting because life is all that we really have and haven't. Death makes us equals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/life-is-always-sad-that-s-what-makes-suicide-so-tempting-because-life/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [We recognize the distinctness of Asian art when we turn to its traditional forms, recognize it as Japanese, Chinese and Indian, even Balinese or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/we-recognize-the-distinctness-of-asian-art-when-we-turn-to-its/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [“There is nothing in the world which an artist cannot recreate into something poetic, ennobling. And why do we read these things? They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/there-is-nothing-in-the-world-which-an-artist-cannot-recreate-into/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [All through history, a nation or a civilization's enduring glory is articulated by its mega constructions - the pyramids, the lofty cathedrals of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/all-through-history-a-nation-or-a-civilization-s-enduring-glory-is/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Colonialism subdues in many dulcet guises. It conquered under the pretext of spreading Christianity, civilization, law and order, to make the world safe for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/colonialism-subdues-in-many-dulcet-guises-it-conquered-under-the/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [November is auspicious in so many parts of the country: the rice harvest is already in, the weather starts to cool, and the festive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/november-is-auspicious-in-so-many-parts-of-the-country-the-rice/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [“No stranger can come battering down my door and say he brings me light. This I have within me. -Istak”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/no-stranger-can-come-battering-down-my-door-and-say-he-brings-me/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) [Explore all 168 F. Sionil José quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) ## More Honest quotes > [How strong is a faith that can't stand up to a few honest questions?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-c-davis/how-strong-is-a-faith-that-can-t-stand-up-to-a-few-honest-questions/) [Kenneth C. Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-c-davis/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [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/) > [Tobacco is the passion of honest men and he who lives without tobacco is not worthy of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/tobacco-is-the-passion-of-honest-men-and-he-who-lives-without-tobacco/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“RIGHT Do you do what feels right or what is seen right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-downer/right-do-you-do-what-feels-right-or-what-is-seen-right/) [Kitty Downer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-downer/) > [One of the most basic principles for making and keeping peace within and between nations. . . is that in political, military, moral, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/one-of-the-most-basic-principles-for-making-and-keeping-peace-within/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [I don't know - to be honest, I don't really model myself after anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-klattenhoff/i-don-t-know-to-be-honest-i-don-t-really-model-myself-after-anybody/) [Diego Klattenhoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-klattenhoff/) > [There's a certain edge about cruelty. If you're honest about it, most people wince, but say it had to be said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-waterman/there-s-a-certain-edge-about-cruelty-if-you-re-honest-about-it-most/) [Pete Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-waterman/) > [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/) [Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/) > [Honest people don't hide their deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/honest-people-don-t-hide-their-deeds/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [I used to not be really honest with girls and then I dropped a song called Starry Room and then I started turning over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden-smith/i-used-to-not-be-really-honest-with-girls-and-then-i-dropped-a-song/) [Jaden Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaden-smith/) > [Fuck perfect, I want honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djsovviet/fuck-perfect-i-want-honest/) Djsovviet > [If I'm honest, I think everything is funny. You've just got to find the right way in. When I'm at my happiest and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcintyre/if-i-m-honest-i-think-everything-is-funny-you-ve-just-got-to-find-the/) [Michael McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcintyre/) > [I think managers see that I am honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lallana/i-think-managers-see-that-i-am-honest/) [Adam Lallana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lallana/) [Browse all 7,016 Honest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes we have to lie so that we do not needlessly hurt others. The important thing is that we are honest with ourselves. That we know how to bend without breaking ourselves. -Crepusculo Lepidoptera", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "F. 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