--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you say nasty things about people…" description: "\"When you say nasty things about people, you should never say the true ones, because you can't really fully and honestly take those back..\" — John Green" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d59/john-green-12_honestly_when-you-say-nasty-things-about-people-y_1381168.jpg" --- # When you say nasty things about people, you should never… ![“When you say nasty things about people, you should never say the true ones, because you can't really fully and honestly take those back..” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d59/john-green-12_honestly_when-you-say-nasty-things-about-people-y_1381168.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d59/john-green-12_honestly_when-you-say-nasty-things-about-people-y_1381168.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d59/john-green-12_honestly_when-you-say-nasty-things-about-people-y_1381168.jpg) > “When you say nasty things about people, you should never say the true ones, because you can't really fully and honestly take those back..” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoid harmful honesty; false kindness can be less damaging than brutal truth. **In simple terms:** Sometimes lies protect feelings. Key Takeaway Choose compassion over harsh truth. Themes ethics communication empathy Mood thoughtful cautious Type ethical practical When to use this quote - friendship conflicts - family disagreements - workplace feedback Key Concepts moral psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - When is it okay to with the truth? - How can you convey honesty gently? A Different Perspective Truth may erode trust if delivered insensitively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [“When yu say nasty things about people, you shouldnever say the true ones, because you can't really fully and honest take those back...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/when-yu-say-nasty-things-about-people-you-shouldnever-say-the-true/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“When you say nasty things about people, you should never say the true ones, because you can't really trully and honestly take those back...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/when-you-say-nasty-things-about-people-you-should-never-say-the-true-2/) [john green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [It amazes me how someone can hide behind a computer screen and say such nasty things to people. Words can kill, remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-amazes-me-how-someone-can-hide-behind-a-computer-screen-and-say/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am interviewed a lot about 'Friends' and people always want me to say nasty things or 'what was this person like.' And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-pickles/i-am-interviewed-a-lot-about-friends-and-people-always-want-me-to-say/) [Christina Pickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-pickles/) > [So the HP guy comes up to me (at the Melbourne conference) and he says, 'If you say nasty things like that to vendors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-de-raadt/so-the-hp-guy-comes-up-to-me-at-the-melbourne-conference-and-he-says/) [Theo de Raadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-de-raadt/) > [...but I guess it's better for people to shut up rather than rather than say something nasty. -ONE NIGHT @ THE CALL CENTER Chapter 1 page 22](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chetan-bhagat/but-i-guess-it-s-better-for-people-to-shut-up-rather-than-rather-than/) [Chetan Bhagat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chetan-bhagat/) > [The only thing that will be remembered about my enemies after they're dead is the nasty things I've said about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/the-only-thing-that-will-be-remembered-about-my-enemies-after-they-re/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I don't read things that people say about me online. They write nasty things just to mess with you. I don't need that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-degarmo/i-don-t-read-things-that-people-say-about-me-online-they-write-nasty/) [Diana DeGarmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-degarmo/) > [I don't mind if people are saying nasty things about me behind my back - I just don't want to know about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-campbell-bower/i-don-t-mind-if-people-are-saying-nasty-things-about-me-behind-my/) [Jamie Campbell Bower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-campbell-bower/) > [Evil is a miscellaneous collection of nasty things that nasty people do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/evil-is-a-miscellaneous-collection-of-nasty-things-that-nasty-people/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It's really hard when people write nasty things about you all the time. As much as good things are said about you, it's always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordin-sparks/it-s-really-hard-when-people-write-nasty-things-about-you-all-the/) [Jordin Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordin-sparks/) > [You hear these horrible stories about the FBI just doing all these nasty things to people. And you know what? In my case, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasan-m-elahi/you-hear-these-horrible-stories-about-the-fbi-just-doing-all-these/) [Hasan M. Elahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasan-m-elahi/) > [If people want to say nasty things that's a good thing in a way because it means people will underestimate me come fight night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-groves/if-people-want-to-say-nasty-things-that-s-a-good-thing-in-a-way/) [George Groves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-groves/) > [It is hard when fans say nasty things on Twitter but we are starting to build a thicker skin and are getting used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perrie-edwards/it-is-hard-when-fans-say-nasty-things-on-twitter-but-we-are-starting/) [Perrie Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perrie-edwards/) > [If you're trying to be me,Do a better job. I wouldn't try to steal I guy from someone. I would call anyone cute or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine/if-you-re-trying-to-be-me-do-a-better-job-i-wouldn-t-try-to-steal-i/) [Jasmine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More Honestly quotes > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I honestly would like to get that Frankie fight back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-mendes/i-honestly-would-like-to-get-that-frankie-fight-back/) [Chad Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-mendes/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? 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As long as people invent their own stuff, I love competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/honestly-we-ll-compete-with-everybody-i-love-competition-as-long-as/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I'd like to say that I'm a rock star, but I'm not - I'm honestly more of a relationship kind of guy. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-sheeran/i-d-like-to-say-that-i-m-a-rock-star-but-i-m-not-i-m-honestly-more-of/) [Ed Sheeran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-sheeran/) > [I honestly really like Ryan Hall. There's nothing bad I could say about this guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/artem-lobov/i-honestly-really-like-ryan-hall-there-s-nothing-bad-i-could-say/) [Artem Lobov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/artem-lobov/) > [We have reached the point where we can lose a game or two and not drop out of sight in the rankings. 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