Books Quote by José Eduardo Agualusa
““In your novels do you lie deliberately or just out of ignorance?" Laughter. A murmur of approval. The writer hesitated a few seconds. Then counter-attacked: "I'm a liar by vocation," he shouted. "I lie with joy! Literature is the only chance for a true liar to attain any sort of social acceptance." Then more soberly, he added - his voice lowered - that the principal difference between a dictatorship and a democracy is that in the former there exists only one truth, the truth as imposed by power, while in free countries every man has the right to defend his own version of events. Truth, he said, is a superstition.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Literary Talk, 2015, Lisbon
The author claims that writers, as professional liars, use storytelling to gain social acceptance, contrasting truth in dictatorships (single imposed truth) with democracy (multiple personal truths).
In simple terms: Writers lie joyfully, and democracy lets everyone tell their own story.
Key Takeaway
Value diverse perspectives over single narratives.
Themes
literature
truth
freedom of expression
political systems
social acceptance
Mood
thought‑provoking
critical
introspective
Type
philosophical
political
literary
When to use this quote
- creative writing
- journalism
- political discourse
- education
Key Concepts
narrative truth
subjectivity
authorial intent
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities do writers have when shaping public perception?
- How does pluralistic truth affect societal cohesion?
A Different Perspective
Truth in democracy can be fragmented, leading to relativism; not all lies are harmless.
