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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…” quote by Jack Kerouac
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““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...””

Jack Kerouac

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.

Key Takeaway

Seek honesty and question assumptions.

Themes

trust truth morality media politics

Mood

cynical reflective

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

  • personal relationships
  • journalism
  • political discourse
  • education

Key Concepts

ethical integrity social trust information overload

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you differentiate harmful lies from harmless ones?
  • What role does media play in shaping truth?
A Different Perspective

Not all lies are equal; context matters.

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