--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Although the devil be the father of lies…" description: "\"Although the devil be the father of lies, he seems, like other great inventors, to have lost much of his reputation by the continual improvements that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/jonathan-swift-433_continual-improvemen_although-the-devil-be-the-father-of-lies_2168876.jpg" --- # Although the devil be the father of lies, he seems, like… ![“Although the devil be the father of lies, he seems, like other great inventors, to have lost much of his reputation by the continual improvements that have been made upon him.” quote by Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/jonathan-swift-433_continual-improvemen_although-the-devil-be-the-father-of-lies_2168876.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/jonathan-swift-433_continual-improvemen_although-the-devil-be-the-father-of-lies_2168876.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/jonathan-swift-433_continual-improvemen_although-the-devil-be-the-father-of-lies_2168876.jpg) > “Although the devil be the father of lies, he seems, like other great inventors, to have lost much of his reputation by the continual improvements that have been made upon him.” [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even the devil’s reputation erodes as he is constantly improved upon. **In simple terms:** Devil loses reputation through continual improvements. Key Takeaway Continuous improvement can diminish negative perceptions. Themes improvement reputation paradox Mood ironic critical Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - Technology development - brand management - personal growth - cultural criticism Key Concepts Ethics Satire Questions to Reflect On - How does refinement affect perception of wrongdoing? - Can a negative entity become positive through change? A Different Perspective Improvement may not erase underlying flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Continual improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continual-improvement/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Falsehood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsehood/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Great inventors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-inventors/) [Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Inventor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inventor/) [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Reputation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reputation/) ## Related quotes > [“They used to call the devil the father of lies. But for someone whose sin is meant to be pride, you'd think that lying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-carey/they-used-to-call-the-devil-the-father-of-lies-but-for-someone-whose/) [Mike Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-carey/) > [The devil is the father of lies, but he neglected to patent the idea, and the business now suffers from competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/the-devil-is-the-father-of-lies-but-he-neglected-to-patent-the-idea/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Pride is the master sin of the devil, and the devil is the father of lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/pride-is-the-master-sin-of-the-devil-and-the-devil-is-the-father-of/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [The devil's in me father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn/the-devil-s-in-me-father/) [Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn/) > [Sin hath the devil for its father, shame for its companion, and death for its wages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-watson-sr/sin-hath-the-devil-for-its-father-shame-for-its-companion-and-death/) Thomas J Watson Sr > [The devil is a father, the beast is the son and the false prophet is the spirit and therefore 666 is just and ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meekness-tapera/the-devil-is-a-father-the-beast-is-the-son-and-the-false-prophet-is/) [Meekness Tapera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meekness-tapera/) > [I used to raise the devil when my father made me practice the flute and my mother made me take piano lessons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/i-used-to-raise-the-devil-when-my-father-made-me-practice-the-flute/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [I don't really believe in the Devil, but if the Devil is the Father of Lies, then he certainly invented the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-macleod/i-don-t-really-believe-in-the-devil-but-if-the-devil-is-the-father-of/) [Ken MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-macleod/) > [Sin has the devil for its father, shame for its companion, and death for its wages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/sin-has-the-devil-for-its-father-shame-for-its-companion-and-death/) [Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/) > [Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I ha' lost my reputation, I ha' lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/reputation-reputation-reputation-o-i-ha-lost-my-reputation-i-ha-lost/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [You have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/you-have-lost-no-reputation-at-all-unless-you-repute-yourself-such-a/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/reputation-reputation-reputation-oh-i-have-lost-my-reputation-i-have/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I wrote the story myself. It's about a girl who lost her reputation and never missed it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-west/i-wrote-the-story-myself-it-s-about-a-girl-who-lost-her-reputation/) [Mae West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-west/) > [I lost my reputation, I forgot my truth. But I have my beauty and I have my youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/i-lost-my-reputation-i-forgot-my-truth-but-i-have-my-beauty-and-i/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [Until you have lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/until-you-have-lost-your-reputation-you-never-realize-what-a-burden/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) ## More by Jonathan Swift > [Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for, when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/time-is-painted-with-a-lock-before-and-bald-behind-signifying-thereby/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [“He said, he knew no reason why those who entertain opinions prejudicial to the public should be obliged to change, or should not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/he-said-he-knew-no-reason-why-those-who-entertain-opinions/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [I with borrow'd silver shine, What you see is none of mine. First I show you but a quarter, Like the bow that guards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-with-borrow-d-silver-shine-what-you-see-is-none-of-mine-first-i/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [A favor is half granted, when graciously refused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-favor-is-half-granted-when-graciously-refused/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-never-wonder-to-see-men-wicked-but-i-often-wonder-to-see-them-not/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [The best Maxim I know in this life is, to drink your Coffee when you can, and when you cannot, to be easy without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/the-best-maxim-i-know-in-this-life-is-to-drink-your-coffee-when-you/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [A lie is an excuse guarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-lie-is-an-excuse-guarded/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [A forward critic often dupes us With sham quotations peri hupsos, And if we have not read Longinus, Will magisterially outshine us. Then, lest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-forward-critic-often-dupes-us-with-sham-quotations-peri-hupsos-and/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [May you live every day of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/may-you-live-every-day-of-your-life/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Ale is meat, drink and cloth; it will make a cat speak and a wise man dumb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/ale-is-meat-drink-and-cloth-it-will-make-a-cat-speak-and-a-wise-man/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [All fits of pleasure are balanced by an equal degree of pain or languor; it is like spending this year part of the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/all-fits-of-pleasure-are-balanced-by-an-equal-degree-of-pain-or/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Satire is a sort of glass wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own; which is the chief reason for that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/satire-is-a-sort-of-glass-wherein-beholders-do-generally-discover/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [“When a great genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign; that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/when-a-great-genius-appears-in-the-world-you-may-know-him-by-this/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [I have ever hated all nations, professions, and communities, and all my love is toward individuals: for instance, I hate the tribe of lawyers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-have-ever-hated-all-nations-professions-and-communities-and-all-my/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [So endless and exorbitant are the desires of men that they will grasp at all, and can form no scheme of perfect happiness with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/so-endless-and-exorbitant-are-the-desires-of-men-that-they-will-grasp/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) [Explore all 535 Jonathan Swift quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) ## More Continual improvement quotes > [A robust internal auditing program shows its presence both at the beginning and end of continual improvement projects. In the beginning, internal audits identify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-novak/a-robust-internal-auditing-program-shows-its-presence-both-at-the/) [John Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-novak/) > [“Continual Improvement” is the IT mantra in the digital era.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/continual-improvement-is-the-it-mantra-in-the-digital-era/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [Continual improvement is an unending journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-dobyns/continual-improvement-is-an-unending-journey/) Lloyd Dobyns > [Continual improvement involves an appreciation that there is always a better way to do things irrespective of how much you have achieved or how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-farr-jones/continual-improvement-involves-an-appreciation-that-there-is-always-a/) Nick Farr-Jones > [There's always room for improvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-always-room-for-improvement/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Without change, there is no innovation, creativity or incentive for improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pollard/without-change-there-is-no-innovation-creativity-or-incentive-for-2/) [William Pollard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pollard/) > [To make the quickest progress, you don't have to take huge leaps. You just have to take baby steps-and keep on taking them. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marci-shimoff/to-make-the-quickest-progress-you-don-t-have-to-take-huge-leaps-you/) [Marci Shimoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marci-shimoff/) > [When it comes to continual improvement programs, the biggest mistake is a failure to launch, the biggest hurdle is culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-novak/when-it-comes-to-continual-improvement-programs-the-biggest-mistake/) [John Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-novak/) > [You want continual improvement? Then I challenge every employee in an organization to discard the status quo and ask themselves everyday, How can I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-novak/you-want-continual-improvement-then-i-challenge-every-employee-in-an/) [John Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-novak/) > [Don't let the fear of statistics keep you from launching a continual improvement program. The statistics hurdle is easily overcome, going out of business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-novak/don-t-let-the-fear-of-statistics-keep-you-from-launching-a-continual/) [John Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-novak/) > [When you're pitching, you always have to make continual improvements. You always have to better yourself throughout your career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-lidge/when-you-re-pitching-you-always-have-to-make-continual-improvements/) [Brad Lidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-lidge/) > [In a world where routine production is footloose...competitive advantage lies not in one-time breakthroughs but in continual improvements. Stable technologies get away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/in-a-world-where-routine-production-is-footloose-competitive/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) [Browse all 13 Continual improvement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continual-improvement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Although the devil be the father of lies, he seems, like other great inventors, to have lost much of his reputation by the continual improvements that have been made upon him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jonathan Swift" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/although-the-devil-be-the-father-of-lies-he-seems-like-other-great/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Continual improvement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/although-the-devil-be-the-father-of-lies-he-seems-like-other-great/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/jonathan-swift-433_continual-improvemen_although-the-devil-be-the-father-of-lies_2168876.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/jonathan-swift-433_continual-improvemen_although-the-devil-be-the-father-of-lies_2168876.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/jonathan-swift-433_continual-improvemen_although-the-devil-be-the-father-of-lies_2168876.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Although the devil be the father of lies, he seems, like other great inventors, to have lost much of his…” — Jonathan Swift", "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": "Jonathan Swift", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Although the devil be the father...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/although-the-devil-be-the-father-of-lies-he-seems-like-other-great/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/although-the-devil-be-the-father-of-lies-he-seems-like-other-great/#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 } } ] } ```