--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd rather be honest and lose than be…" description: "\"I'd rather be honest and lose than be dishonest and win\" — Greg McKeown" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/greg-mckeown-8740_being-honest_i-d-rather-be-honest-and-lose-than-be-di_1011609.png" --- # I'd rather be honest and lose than be dishonest and win ![“I'd rather be honest and lose than be dishonest and win” quote by Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/greg-mckeown-8740_being-honest_i-d-rather-be-honest-and-lose-than-be-di_1011609.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/greg-mckeown-8740_being-honest_i-d-rather-be-honest-and-lose-than-be-di_1011609.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/greg-mckeown-8740_being-honest_i-d-rather-be-honest-and-lose-than-be-di_1011609.png) > “I'd rather be honest and lose than be dishonest and win” [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing honesty may cause loss, but it preserves integrity, whereas dishonesty may bring short‑term gain at the cost of character. **In simple terms:** Honesty may lose, dishonesty may win. Key Takeaway Prioritize integrity over short‑term success. Themes ethics integrity success Mood contemplative serious Type ethical motivational When to use this quote - business negotiations - personal relationships - political campaigns Key Concepts moral philosophy decision making leadership Questions to Reflect On - When have you faced a choice between truth and gain? - What are the long‑term costs of dishonesty? A Different Perspective Dishonesty can sometimes be socially rewarded, creating pressure to compromise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-honest/) [Dishonest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dishonest/) [Dishonest Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dishonest-win-2200437/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Honest Lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-lose-2200436/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Lose Dishonest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lose-dishonest-2200435/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [Learn to trust and be trustworthy. When you treat someone as if they are being dishonest, you will train them to be. It's more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-sylver/learn-to-trust-and-be-trustworthy-when-you-treat-someone-as-if-they/) [Marshall Sylver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-sylver/) > [You're always learning about yourself, if you're honest with yourself. It's very tough to be honest with yourself. We all are dishonest with ourselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-johns/you-re-always-learning-about-yourself-if-you-re-honest-with-yourself/) [Geoff Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-johns/) > [It would be dishonest to say winning an Oscar wouldn't be awesome. I'm sure it would be great, but if it matters all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ti-west/it-would-be-dishonest-to-say-winning-an-oscar-wouldn-t-be-awesome-i-m/) [Ti West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ti-west/) > [We are looking at a lot of dishonest news that comes across where people are lying outrageously about other people. And I hope that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/we-are-looking-at-a-lot-of-dishonest-news-that-comes-across-where/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Short of the dishonest, the illegal, and the cruel, there's only one thing my son could do that would really disappoint me: not liking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/short-of-the-dishonest-the-illegal-and-the-cruel-there-s-only-one/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [To go into a competition and not strive to win is to be a dishonest competitor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-novak/to-go-into-a-competition-and-not-strive-to-win-is-to-be-a-dishonest/) [Michael Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-novak/) > [In the long run, I believe that honesty is definitely the best policy. One can get away by being dishonest for a short term,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-dev/in-the-long-run-i-believe-that-honesty-is-definitely-the-best-policy/) [Kapil Dev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-dev/) > [Nixon was the most dishonest individual I have ever met in my life. He lied to his wife, his family, his friends, his colleagues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/nixon-was-the-most-dishonest-individual-i-have-ever-met-in-my-life-he/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [Promises are always broken and never kept. Dishonest people do what they want, when they want and dont care about who gets hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/promises-are-always-broken-and-never-kept-dishonest-people-do-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I can’t afford to be dishonest. I also can’t afford to be poor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-can-t-afford-to-be-dishonest-i-also-can-t-afford-to-be-poor/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I've never seen more dishonest media than frankly, the political media. I thought the financial media was much better, much more honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-ve-never-seen-more-dishonest-media-than-frankly-the-political-media/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“I wouldn’t mind politicians lying to me, stealing from me, or senselessly making life difficult if they didn’t try to claim they were looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wouldn-t-mind-politicians-lying-to-me-stealing-from-me-or/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Yes, even I am dishonest. Not in many ways, but in some. Forty-one, I think it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/yes-even-i-am-dishonest-not-in-many-ways-but-in-some-forty-one-i/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [It is intellectually dishonest to lump venture investors with hedge fund and buy-out investors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ferreira/it-is-intellectually-dishonest-to-lump-venture-investors-with-hedge/) [Jose Ferreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ferreira/) > [I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour, and who then asketh: "Am I a dishonest player?" - for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-love-him-who-is-ashamed-when-the-dice-fall-in-his-favour-and-who/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by Greg McKeown > [If I didn’t already own this, how much would I spend to buy it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/if-i-didn-t-already-own-this-how-much-would-i-spend-to-buy-it/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [The word priority was singular for 500 years—what does priorities mean—'many many first things.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/the-word-priority-was-singular-for-500-years-what-does-priorities/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“Sleep will enhance your ability to explore, make connections, and do less but better throughout your waking hours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/sleep-will-enhance-your-ability-to-explore-make-connections-and-do/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“Of course, nobody likes to be bored. But by abolishing any chance of being bored we have also lost the times we used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/of-course-nobody-likes-to-be-bored-but-by-abolishing-any-chance-of/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“The word priority came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/the-word-priority-came-into-the-english-language-in-the-1400s-it-was/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“while we may not always have control over our options, we always have control over how we choose among them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/while-we-may-not-always-have-control-over-our-options-we-always-have/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“The word priority came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/the-word-priority-came-into-the-english-language-in-the-1400s-it-was-2/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/essentialism-is-not-about-how-to-get-more-things-done-it-s-about-how/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“the faintest pencil is better than the strongest memory”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/the-faintest-pencil-is-better-than-the-strongest-memory/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“I have since gathered data from more than five hundred individuals about their experience on more than one thousand teams. I asked them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/i-have-since-gathered-data-from-more-than-five-hundred-individuals/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [Take a deep breath. Get present in the moment and ask yourself what is important this very second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/take-a-deep-breath-get-present-in-the-moment-and-ask-yourself-what-is/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“Less but better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/less-but-better/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“For the first time, they will have to manage themselves. And society is totally unprepared for it.”4”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/for-the-first-time-they-will-have-to-manage-themselves-and-society-is/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“I must apologize: if I had more time I would have written a shorter letter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/i-must-apologize-if-i-had-more-time-i-would-have-written-a-shorter/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [“up in four predictable phases:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/up-in-four-predictable-phases/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) [Explore all 76 Greg McKeown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) ## More Being honest quotes > [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/) > [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/) > [I had never done anything with blue screen before, or prosthetics, or anything like that. Lord of the Rings was like stepping into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-had-never-done-anything-with-blue-screen-before-or-prosthetics-or/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [Let's be honest, if the Democrats didn't support ignoring our nation's immigration laws, there is no way they could win the presidency or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/let-s-be-honest-if-the-democrats-didn-t-support-ignoring-our-nation-s/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [I think what saved me is me being honest. I think I somewhow had the courage to do something and say something that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/i-think-what-saved-me-is-me-being-honest-i-think-i-somewhow-had-the/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [An actor has to evaluate his own abilities and be honest with himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/an-actor-has-to-evaluate-his-own-abilities-and-be-honest-with-himself/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [The cultural integration of psychedelics won't happen overnight, and the question of young people is perhaps the most difficult involved. The first step is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-doblin/the-cultural-integration-of-psychedelics-won-t-happen-overnight-and/) [Rick Doblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-doblin/) > [I'm a person of change and I must be honest to my artistry and my creativity. That's part of the word 'jazz'... it's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-ferguson/i-m-a-person-of-change-and-i-must-be-honest-to-my-artistry-and-my/) [Maynard Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-ferguson/) > [I'm going to be honest, I would love for Flava Flav to be president. It would bring a lot of excitement to the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-khaled/i-m-going-to-be-honest-i-would-love-for-flava-flav-to-be-president-it/) [DJ Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-khaled/) > [The buildings that were in question, they said in the same report, which was - actually, it wasn't even a bad story, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-buildings-that-were-in-question-they-said-in-the-same-report/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I guess it has to be healthy, you have to be honest with yourself and I think that's when ego is okay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-amoruso/i-guess-it-has-to-be-healthy-you-have-to-be-honest-with-yourself-and/) [Sophia Amoruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-amoruso/) > [ The opening for solid waste is very small \[in the space ship\]. It's not toilet-bowl size. And aim is critical. To be honest with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mullane/the-opening-for-solid-waste-is-very-small-in-the-space-ship-it-s-not/) [Mike Mullane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mullane/) > [We had 90 percent rates, but nobody paid them. And so you had all these exemptions, exclusions, shelters, all this kind of stuff. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-had-90-percent-rates-but-nobody-paid-them-and-so-you-had-all-these/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I think, as a filmmaker, it's important to be honest with yourself at all times in terms of what's working and what's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-wingard/i-think-as-a-filmmaker-it-s-important-to-be-honest-with-yourself-at/) [Adam Wingard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-wingard/) > [We live in a world in which the only utopian visions arrive in commercial breaks: magical visions of an impossibly hospitable world, peopled by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/we-live-in-a-world-in-which-the-only-utopian-visions-arrive-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) [Browse all 1,333 Being honest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-honest/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd rather be honest and lose than be dishonest and win", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Greg McKeown" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/i-d-rather-be-honest-and-lose-than-be-dishonest-and-win/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being honest" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/i-d-rather-be-honest-and-lose-than-be-dishonest-and-win/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/greg-mckeown-8740_being-honest_i-d-rather-be-honest-and-lose-than-be-di_1011609.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/greg-mckeown-8740_being-honest_i-d-rather-be-honest-and-lose-than-be-di_1011609.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ed/greg-mckeown-8740_being-honest_i-d-rather-be-honest-and-lose-than-be-di_1011609.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd rather be honest and lose than be dishonest and win” — Greg McKeown", "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": "Greg McKeown", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd rather be honest and lose...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/i-d-rather-be-honest-and-lose-than-be-dishonest-and-win/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/i-d-rather-be-honest-and-lose-than-be-dishonest-and-win/#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 } } ] } ```