--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the truth is worth telling, it is…" description: "\"If the truth is worth telling, it is worth making a fool of yourself to tell it.\" — Frederick Buechner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/frederick-buechner-883_fool_if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-wort_90795.png" --- # If the truth is worth telling, it is worth making a fool… ![“If the truth is worth telling, it is worth making a fool of yourself to tell it.” quote by Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/frederick-buechner-883_fool_if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-wort_90795.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/frederick-buechner-883_fool_if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-wort_90795.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/frederick-buechner-883_fool_if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-wort_90795.png) > “If the truth is worth telling, it is worth making a fool of yourself to tell it.” [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Truth-telling may require personal risk; the speaker suggests that the value of truth justifies exposing oneself to ridicule or hardship. **In simple terms:** Truth may demand personal sacrifice. Key Takeaway Courage to speak truth. Themes truth courage integrity risk Mood determined reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - whistleblowing - personal confession Key Concepts ethical responsibility social pressure Practical Applications - Prepare evidence before speaking - Seek supportive allies Questions to Reflect On - When does protecting oneself outweigh sharing truth? - How can we balance honesty with potential harm? A Different Perspective Not all truths merit public exposure; privacy and safety may outweigh disclosure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Making a fool of yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-a-fool-of-yourself/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“Clovis believed that if a lie was worth telling it was worth telling well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saki/clovis-believed-that-if-a-lie-was-worth-telling-it-was-worth-telling/) [Saki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saki/) > [Any story worth telling is worth exaggerating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/any-story-worth-telling-is-worth-exaggerating/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [“That which is worth telling is not worth having.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/that-which-is-worth-telling-is-not-worth-having/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [“Everyone‟s got a story and everyone thinks theirs is worth telling and worth listening to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walsh/everyone-s-got-a-story-and-everyone-thinks-theirs-is-worth-telling/) [Alice Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walsh/) > [Any story worth telling is worth embellishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sputnik-monroe/any-story-worth-telling-is-worth-embellishing/) Sputnik Monroe > [To write something, you have to risk making a fool of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/to-write-something-you-have-to-risk-making-a-fool-of-yourself/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [“And making a fool of yourself is something all actors have to risk doing. That’s part of our business. And that too is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/and-making-a-fool-of-yourself-is-something-all-actors-have-to-risk/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [If you yell at a cat, you're the one who is making a fool of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-yell-at-a-cat-you-re-the-one-who-is-making-a-fool-of-yourself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There's a fine line between not caring what someone thinks of you and purposefully making a fool of yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-adams/there-s-a-fine-line-between-not-caring-what-someone-thinks-of-you-and/) Ivy Adams > [There's a thin line between catering to the masses and making a fool of yourself; I try to walk that line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-akkineni/there-s-a-thin-line-between-catering-to-the-masses-and-making-a-fool/) [Samantha Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-akkineni/) > [Stop trying to make me jealous, because your just making a fool of yourself :\*](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/stop-trying-to-make-me-jealous-because-your-just-making-a-fool-of/) Author Name > [You will find many to like you if you keep making a fool of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/you-will-find-many-to-like-you-if-you-keep-making-a-fool-of-yourself/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Drama school is really a forum for making a fool of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-stephens/drama-school-is-really-a-forum-for-making-a-fool-of-yourself/) [Toby Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-stephens/) > [I made it real clear to the business community - if your plan for innovation is to trick people, is to fool them, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/i-made-it-real-clear-to-the-business-community-if-your-plan-for/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [Any fool can tell the truth but it takes a man of wisdom to tell a lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ace-kid/any-fool-can-tell-the-truth-but-it-takes-a-man-of-wisdom-to-tell-a-lie/) [Ace Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ace-kid/) ## More by Frederick Buechner > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. They may forget what you said, but they will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [It is impossible to conceive how different things would have turned out if that birth had not happened whenever, wherever, however it didfor millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/it-is-impossible-to-conceive-how-different-things-would-have-turned/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [At least to look back over their own lives, as I have looked back over mine, for certain themes and patterns and signals that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/at-least-to-look-back-over-their-own-lives-as-i-have-looked-back-over/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Snobs are people who look down on other people, but that does not justify our looking down on them. Who can say what dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/snobs-are-people-who-look-down-on-other-people-but-that-does-not/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I could, of course, have done no more if no less than affiliated myself in one way or another with a particular church, could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/i-could-of-course-have-done-no-more-if-no-less-than-affiliated-myself/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Even the saddest things can become, once we have made peace with them, a source of wisdom and strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/even-the-saddest-things-can-become-once-we-have-made-peace-with-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [A Christian isn't necessarily any nicer than anybody else, just better informed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/a-christian-isn-t-necessarily-any-nicer-than-anybody-else-just-better/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“The things that the world fills time with are enough to turn the heart to stone, but the goodness of time itself is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-things-that-the-world-fills-time-with-are-enough-to-turn-the/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The pride that keeps us from forgiving is the same pride which keeps us from accepting forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/the-pride-that-keeps-us-from-forgiving-is-the-same-pride-which-keeps/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but a the same time you carry them with you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/you-can-kiss-your-family-and-friends-good-bye-and-put-miles-between/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I suspect that Jesus spoke many of his parables as a kind of sad and holy joke and that that may be part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/i-suspect-that-jesus-spoke-many-of-his-parables-as-a-kind-of-sad-and/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“How Adewen stuffed her braid in her mouth at that! Or she'd cover her mirth with her hands and shake till you'd think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/how-adewen-stuffed-her-braid-in-her-mouth-at-that-or-she-d-cover-her/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Resurrection means that the worst thing is never the last thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/resurrection-means-that-the-worst-thing-is-never-the-last-thing/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [We have God's joy in our blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/we-have-god-s-joy-in-our-blood/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) [Explore all 339 Frederick Buechner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) ## More Fool quotes > [Do I look like a fool to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/do-i-look-like-a-fool-to-you/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“Not wise, perhaps, to be rude to the Pope's favorite son, but my viper tongue still required a fool now and then on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-quinn/not-wise-perhaps-to-be-rude-to-the-pope-s-favorite-son-but-my-viper/) [Kate Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-quinn/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [A fool and his money get a lot of publicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-bernstein/a-fool-and-his-money-get-a-lot-of-publicity/) [Al Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-bernstein/) > [There are different kinds of fire; there is false fire. No one knows this better than we do, but we are not such fools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-booth/there-are-different-kinds-of-fire-there-is-false-fire-no-one-knows/) [William Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-booth/) > [Every man must wear out at least one pair of fools shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-derr-biggers/every-man-must-wear-out-at-least-one-pair-of-fools-shoes/) [Earl Derr Biggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-derr-biggers/) > [If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wc-fields/if-at-first-you-don-t-succeed-try-try-again-then-quit-no-use-being-a/) [WC Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wc-fields/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [I'd be a fool to be in this for the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-hinn/i-d-be-a-fool-to-be-in-this-for-the-money/) [Benny Hinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-hinn/) > [It is a fool of a shepherd who culls his dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefferson-smith/it-is-a-fool-of-a-shepherd-who-culls-his-dogs/) [Jefferson Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefferson-smith/) > [Prefer to be defeated in the presence of the wise than to excel among fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prefer-to-be-defeated-in-the-presence-of-the-wise-than-to-excel-among/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A mistake doesnt make you a fool, but denying it surely makes you one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-mistake-doesnt-make-you-a-fool-but-denying-it-surely-makes-you-one/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) [Browse all 5,535 Fool quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If the truth is worth telling, it is worth making a fool of yourself to tell it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederick Buechner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-worth-making-a-fool-of-yourself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fool" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-worth-making-a-fool-of-yourself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/frederick-buechner-883_fool_if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-wort_90795.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/frederick-buechner-883_fool_if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-wort_90795.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/frederick-buechner-883_fool_if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-wort_90795.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If the truth is worth telling, it is worth making a fool of yourself to tell it.” — Frederick Buechner", "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": "Frederick Buechner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If the truth is worth telling,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-worth-making-a-fool-of-yourself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/if-the-truth-is-worth-telling-it-is-worth-making-a-fool-of-yourself/#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 } } ] } ```