--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no lie that does not have at its…" description: "\"“There is no lie that does not have at its core some truth. One must only know how to listen.”\" — J.M. Coetzee" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/j-m-coetzee-2457_listen_there-is-no-lie-that-does-not-have-at-it_1479196.png" --- # There is no lie that does not have at its core some truth… ![“There is no lie that does not have at its core some truth. One must only know how to listen.” quote by J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/j-m-coetzee-2457_listen_there-is-no-lie-that-does-not-have-at-it_1479196.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/j-m-coetzee-2457_listen_there-is-no-lie-that-does-not-have-at-it_1479196.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/j-m-coetzee-2457_listen_there-is-no-lie-that-does-not-have-at-it_1479196.png) > ““There is no lie that does not have at its core some truth. One must only know how to listen.”” [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. All lies contain a kernel of truth; listening reveals it. **In simple terms:** Lies hide truth; listening uncovers it. Key Takeaway Seek truth beneath falsehoods. Themes truth deception listening Mood analytical curious Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - debate - media consumption - personal relationships Key Concepts critical thinking communication skills Questions to Reflect On - What truth might a lie conceal? - How can you discern truth in conversation? A Different Perspective Truth may be distorted beyond recognition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Core Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/core-truth-1204176/) [Know Listen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-listen-249521/) [Listen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listen/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-know/) ## Related quotes > [The world is speaking to you every day, you just don't know how to listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/the-world-is-speaking-to-you-every-day-you-just-don-t-know-how-to/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [If there's one thing I believe more than I believe anything else, it's that you can't fake the core. The truth that lives there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/if-there-s-one-thing-i-believe-more-than-i-believe-anything-else-it-s/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Boiled down to its core, the truth is always a simple, solid thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/boiled-down-to-its-core-the-truth-is-always-a-simple-solid-thing/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [“Within illusion lies a core of truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-kilczer/within-illusion-lies-a-core-of-truth/) [Jean Kilczer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-kilczer/) > [the best lie is wrapped around a core of truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/the-best-lie-is-wrapped-around-a-core-of-truth/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [“Lord, show me how to gird up the core of my being with Your truth so that I don’t fall into deception of any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stormie-omartian/lord-show-me-how-to-gird-up-the-core-of-my-being-with-your-truth-so/) [Stormie Omartian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stormie-omartian/) > [Finding that core of truth within yourself... That truth that knows and trusts that All Is Well, and that chooses Love... Is the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wilcock/finding-that-core-of-truth-within-yourself-that-truth-that-knows-and/) [David Wilcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wilcock/) > [The jungle speaks to me because I know how to listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/the-jungle-speaks-to-me-because-i-know-how-to-listen/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Entrepreneurs need to listen. They don't need to be good listeners (although it can only help) but they need to know when to listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/entrepreneurs-need-to-listen-they-don-t-need-to-be-good-listeners/) [Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/) > [Your truth will increase as you know listen to the truth of others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/your-truth-will-increase-as-you-know-listen-to-the-truth-of-others/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [If you want to know me, listen to my music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goswami-kriyananda/if-you-want-to-know-me-listen-to-my-music/) [Goswami Kriyananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goswami-kriyananda/) > [Now I know you should listen to what your body is telling you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delta-goodrem/now-i-know-you-should-listen-to-what-your-body-is-telling-you/) [Delta Goodrem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delta-goodrem/) > [You know, I listen to contemporary music all the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/you-know-i-listen-to-contemporary-music-all-the-time/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [As you get older and you realize you really don't know as much as you think you know, you listen more. Because then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/as-you-get-older-and-you-realize-you-really-don-t-know-as-much-as-you/) [Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/) > [You work on something for so long that you become numb to it. Like, you don't even know how to listen to it because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-faiyaz/you-work-on-something-for-so-long-that-you-become-numb-to-it-like-you/) [Brent Faiyaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-faiyaz/) ## More by J.M. Coetzee > [“I urge you: don't cut short these thought-trains of yours. Follow them through to their end. Your thoughts and your feelings. Follow them through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/i-urge-you-don-t-cut-short-these-thought-trains-of-yours-follow-them/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“I truly believe I am not afraid of death. What I shrink from, I believe, is the shame of dying as stupid and befuddled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/i-truly-believe-i-am-not-afraid-of-death-what-i-shrink-from-i-believe/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“Technically he is old enough to be her father; but then, technically one can be a father at twelve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/technically-he-is-old-enough-to-be-her-father-but-then-technically/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“I remember asking John, after Dusklands, what new project he had on the go. His answer was vague. 'There is always something or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/i-remember-asking-john-after-dusklands-what-new-project-he-had-on-the/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“The truth is, he tired of criticism, tired of prose measured by the yard." --Disgrace”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/the-truth-is-he-tired-of-criticism-tired-of-prose-measured-by-the/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“Since I was in flight from religion, I assumed that my classmates had to be in flight from religion too, albeit in a quieter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/since-i-was-in-flight-from-religion-i-assumed-that-my-classmates-had/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“Lucy was frightened, frightened near to death. Her voice choked, she could not breath, her limbs went numb. "This is not happening", she said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/lucy-was-frightened-frightened-near-to-death-her-voice-choked-she/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“It occurs to me that we crush insects beneath our feet, miracles of creation too, beetles, worms, cockroaches, ants, in their various ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/it-occurs-to-me-that-we-crush-insects-beneath-our-feet-miracles-of/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“He sits with the pen in his hand, holding himself back from a descent into representations that have no place in the world, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/he-sits-with-the-pen-in-his-hand-holding-himself-back-from-a-descent/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“Do you remember Vlek, who was such a good sheepdog that she and Jakob alone could drive a whole flock past you at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/do-you-remember-vlek-who-was-such-a-good-sheepdog-that-she-and-jakob/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“We are accustomed to believe that our world was created by God speaking the Word; but I ask, may it not rather be that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/we-are-accustomed-to-believe-that-our-world-was-created-by-god/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“...from the oppression of such freedom who would not welcome the liberation of confinement?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/from-the-oppression-of-such-freedom-who-would-not-welcome-the/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“If he has a last thought, if there is time for a last thought, it will simply be, So this is what a last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/if-he-has-a-last-thought-if-there-is-time-for-a-last-thought-it-will/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“At what age , he wonders, did Origen castrate himself? Not the most graceful solution, but then ageing is not a graceful bussines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/at-what-age-he-wonders-did-origen-castrate-himself-not-the-most/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [“...he seems to be on the brink of one of his bad spells again, one of the fits of lugubrious self-pity that turn into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/he-seems-to-be-on-the-brink-of-one-of-his-bad-spells-again-one-of-the/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) [Explore all 122 J.M. Coetzee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) ## More Listen quotes > [“Listen to your heart and trust the direction you are being pulled. Something inside you already know what to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spring-washam/listen-to-your-heart-and-trust-the-direction-you-are-being-pulled/) [Spring Washam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spring-washam/) > [I listen to my body, I give it things it wants and I eliminate things it doesn't want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britt-ekland/i-listen-to-my-body-i-give-it-things-it-wants-and-i-eliminate-things/) [Britt Ekland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britt-ekland/) > [It hasn't been a conscious thing, like, 'I don't want to listen to a bunch of dudes,' but I genuinely like music by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soccer-mommy/it-hasn-t-been-a-conscious-thing-like-i-don-t-want-to-listen-to-a/) [Soccer Mommy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soccer-mommy/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [“You never know why God has you move the way He does. You should just listen when He tells you to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacinta-howard/you-never-know-why-god-has-you-move-the-way-he-does-you-should-just/) [Jacinta Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacinta-howard/) > [You shouldn't listen to my music for political messages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-paisley/you-shouldn-t-listen-to-my-music-for-political-messages/) [Brad Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-paisley/) > [If you're a smart writer, you listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-erickson/if-you-re-a-smart-writer-you-listen/) [Steve Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-erickson/) > [I love music. I listen to a lot of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/i-love-music-i-listen-to-a-lot-of-it/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [“I can't promise the universe is gonna tell you what to do with your life up there. But if you can keep quiet and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessi-kirby/i-can-t-promise-the-universe-is-gonna-tell-you-what-to-do-with-your/) [Jessi Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessi-kirby/) > [“Our first teacher is our own heart. When we begin to tune in and listen to our heart we can bring our thoughts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-l-white/our-first-teacher-is-our-own-heart-when-we-begin-to-tune-in-and/) [Victoria L. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-l-white/) > [Hmm, on my downtime, I take a shower or listen to the Bible on tape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-t/hmm-on-my-downtime-i-take-a-shower-or-listen-to-the-bible-on-tape/) [Mr. T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-t/) > [Listen, I have a great affection and respect for Joe Biden. I think he's been a great vice president. He's taken on a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-axelrod/listen-i-have-a-great-affection-and-respect-for-joe-biden-i-think-he/) [David Axelrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-axelrod/) > [I could listen to this song over and over¥](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/i-could-listen-to-this-song-over-and-over/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) > [When even your fans are writing to tell you to get a life, you know you need to listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/when-even-your-fans-are-writing-to-tell-you-to-get-a-life-you-know/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [Those that fight don't listen, those that listen don't fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-salomon-perls/those-that-fight-don-t-listen-those-that-listen-don-t-fight/) [Frederick Salomon Perls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-salomon-perls/) [Browse all 3,745 Listen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listen/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There is no lie that does not have at its core some truth. One must only know how to listen.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J.M. Coetzee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/there-is-no-lie-that-does-not-have-at-its-core-some-truth-one-must/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Listen" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/there-is-no-lie-that-does-not-have-at-its-core-some-truth-one-must/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/j-m-coetzee-2457_listen_there-is-no-lie-that-does-not-have-at-it_1479196.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/j-m-coetzee-2457_listen_there-is-no-lie-that-does-not-have-at-it_1479196.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/j-m-coetzee-2457_listen_there-is-no-lie-that-does-not-have-at-it_1479196.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is no lie that does not have at its core some truth. One must only know how to listen.” — J.M. Coetzee", "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": "J.M. Coetzee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There is no lie that does...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/there-is-no-lie-that-does-not-have-at-its-core-some-truth-one-must/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/there-is-no-lie-that-does-not-have-at-its-core-some-truth-one-must/#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 } } ] } ```