--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Lying is not only excusable; it is not…" description: "\"Lying is not only excusable; it is not only innocent; it is, above all, necessary and unavoidable. Without the ameliorations that it offers, life would..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/h-l-mencken-245_innocent_lying-is-not-only-excusable-it-is-not-on_2748032.png" --- # Lying is not only excusable; it is not only innocent; it… ![“Lying is not only excusable; it is not only innocent; it is, above all, necessary and unavoidable. Without the ameliorations that it offers, life would become a mere syllogism and hence too metallic to be borne.” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/h-l-mencken-245_innocent_lying-is-not-only-excusable-it-is-not-on_2748032.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/h-l-mencken-245_innocent_lying-is-not-only-excusable-it-is-not-on_2748032.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/h-l-mencken-245_innocent_lying-is-not-only-excusable-it-is-not-on_2748032.png) > “Lying is not only excusable; it is not only innocent; it is, above all, necessary and unavoidable. Without the ameliorations that it offers, life would become a mere syllogism and hence too metallic to be borne.” [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lying is essential and unavoidable; without it, life becomes a cold logic. **In simple terms:** Lying is necessary to avoid a sterile, logical existence. Key Takeaway Accept lying as a social tool. Themes ethics communication necessity Mood cynical analytical Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - politics - personal relationships - media Key Concepts social pragmatism philosophical skepticism Questions to Reflect On - When is lying justified? - How does honesty shape society? A Different Perspective Moral compromise may erode trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think lying is excusable ever, period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santos/i-don-t-think-lying-is-excusable-ever-period/) [George Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santos/) > [hurting other people is not excusable because you've been hurt yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jilly-cooper/hurting-other-people-is-not-excusable-because-you-ve-been-hurt/) [Jilly Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jilly-cooper/) > [Anything can become excusable when seen from the standpoint of the result](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/anything-can-become-excusable-when-seen-from-the-standpoint-of-the/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [“The Writer and Poet is excusable only if he is Successful. Makes Money.” Within”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-wagner-martin/the-writer-and-poet-is-excusable-only-if-he-is-successful-makes-money/) [Linda Wagner-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-wagner-martin/) > [Faults of ignorance are excusable only where the ignorance itself is so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-guitry/faults-of-ignorance-are-excusable-only-where-the-ignorance-itself-is/) [Sacha Guitry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-guitry/) > [A mistake is always forgivable, rarely excusable and always unacceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fripp/a-mistake-is-always-forgivable-rarely-excusable-and-always/) [Robert Fripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fripp/) > [The greatest part of our faults are more excusable than the methods that are commonly taken to conceal them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-greatest-part-of-our-faults-are-more-excusable-than-the-methods/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [In this world, there are two times. 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She armed herself with two thorns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/old-flossie-settle-down-on-the-other-side-of-what-the-dickens-and/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [We started this together, Leo. Seems only right you come along. You find us a ride, you're in." "Yes!" Leo pumped his fist. \*…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/we-started-this-together-leo-seems-only-right-you-come-along-you-find/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) ## More by H. L. Mencken > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [A bad artist almost always tries to conceal his incompetence by whooping up a new formula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-bad-artist-almost-always-tries-to-conceal-his-incompetence-by/) [H. L. 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Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-walsh/) Browse all 2,008 Innocent quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Lying is not only excusable; it is not only innocent; it is, above all, necessary and unavoidable. Without the ameliorations that it offers, life would become a mere syllogism and hence too metallic to be borne.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H. L. 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