Comintern Quote by Jack Kerouac
““I don't think anybody'd remember and certainly do know everybody'd lie. The reason I'm so bitter and, as I said, 'in anguish,' nowadays, or one of the reasons, is that everybody's begun to lie and because they lie they assume that I lie too: they overlook the fact that I remember very well many things (of course I've forgotten some...) I do believe that lying is a sin, unless it's innocent lie based on lack of memory, certainly the giving of false evidence and being a false witness is a mortal sin, but what I mean is, insofar as lying has become so prevalent in the world today (thanks to Marxian Dialectical propaganda and Comitern techniques among other causes) that, when a man tells the truth, everybody, looking in the mirror and seeing a liar... ...like those LSD heads in newspaper photographs who sit in parks gazing rapturously at the sky to show how high they are when they're only victims momentarily of a contraction of the blood vessels and nerves in the brain that causes the illusion...””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Dharma Bums, 1958
Lying has become pervasive; truth is doubted, leading to personal bitterness and societal distrust.
In simple terms: Lying erodes trust and causes anguish.
Seek honesty and question assumptions.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- journalism
- political discourse
- education
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate harmful lies from harmless ones?
- What role does media play in shaping truth?
Not all lies are equal; context matters.