--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Truth is, I've always been selling out…" description: "\"Truth is, I've always been selling out. The difference is that in the past, I looked like I had integrity because there were no buyers.\" — Lily Tomlin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/lily-tomlin-3278_buyers_truth-is-i-ve-always-been-selling-out-th_2628423.png" --- # Truth is, I've always been selling out. The difference is… ![“Truth is, I've always been selling out. The difference is that in the past, I looked like I had integrity because there were no buyers.” quote by Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/lily-tomlin-3278_buyers_truth-is-i-ve-always-been-selling-out-th_2628423.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/lily-tomlin-3278_buyers_truth-is-i-ve-always-been-selling-out-th_2628423.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/lily-tomlin-3278_buyers_truth-is-i-ve-always-been-selling-out-th_2628423.png) > “Truth is, I've always been selling out. The difference is that in the past, I looked like I had integrity because there were no buyers.” [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She admits to compromising integrity for profit, noting past appearances of honesty were due to lack of buyers. **In simple terms:** She sold out, but earlier seemed honest because nobody wanted her work. Key Takeaway Balance authenticity with financial necessity. Themes integrity commercialism self-awareness Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career decisions - financial planning - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts artistic integrity market demand personal branding Questions to Reflect On - What values guide your professional choices? - How do you maintain authenticity under pressure? A Different Perspective Compromise can erode trust; audience perception may shift. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buyers/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Integrity Buyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity-buyers-2168699/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling/) [Selling Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling-difference-2168701/) [Selling out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling-out/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truth is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-is/) [Ve Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ve-selling-2168700/) ## Related quotes > [In Joel's view, that reformation begins with people going o the trouble and expense of buying directly from farmers they know - "relationship marketing,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-joel-s-view-that-reformation-begins-with-people-going-o-the/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [I've been selling myself for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-coogan/i-ve-been-selling-myself-for-a-long-time/) [Jackie Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-coogan/) > [I've been selling things all my life. I sold wrestling for a long time. I sold the talent and sold the matches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ross/i-ve-been-selling-things-all-my-life-i-sold-wrestling-for-a-long-time/) [Jim Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ross/) > [“I collect orgasms. Unfortunately, lately I’ve been selling more than I’ve been buying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-collect-orgasms-unfortunately-lately-i-ve-been-selling-more-than-i/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I have no trouble selling out—I’m a benevolent hack, in a certain way—but I want to pander for something I believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-have-no-trouble-selling-out-i-m-a-benevolent-hack-in-a-certain-way/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I don't care if people perceive me as always selling out because I'm doing a studio picture. For me, the whole thing is you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cillian-murphy/i-don-t-care-if-people-perceive-me-as-always-selling-out-because-i-m/) [Cillian Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cillian-murphy/) > [As long as I'm not selling out the people that ride or die with me, I'm glad I'm not an MC. I'm a motivational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-jeezy/as-long-as-i-m-not-selling-out-the-people-that-ride-or-die-with-me-i/) [Young Jeezy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-jeezy/) > [We were being put somewhere interesting from being involved with analog, to working with digital. Those two worlds just collided and it felt great!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazzie-b/we-were-being-put-somewhere-interesting-from-being-involved-with/) [Jazzie B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazzie-b/) > [You get moments all the time that kind of make you pinch yourself, some of them make you quite emotional. Winning a BRIT was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-styles/you-get-moments-all-the-time-that-kind-of-make-you-pinch-yourself/) [Harry Styles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-styles/) > [I was just worried that someone was gonna think that I had been commissioned by Jamba Juice to make cartoons about Jamba Juice. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-was-just-worried-that-someone-was-gonna-think-that-i-had-been/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [My goals have changed throughout my life. At one time it was winning awards, selling out concert dates, selling more albums than anyone else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/my-goals-have-changed-throughout-my-life-at-one-time-it-was-winning/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [I didn't want to do film or commercials or television. That was cheap. That was selling out. I was the classic liberal, left-wing, 'Theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-moyer/i-didn-t-want-to-do-film-or-commercials-or-television-that-was-cheap/) [Stephen Moyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-moyer/) > [I'm not selling out, denying who I am or where I've come from, not at all. I acknowledge that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-iglesias/i-m-not-selling-out-denying-who-i-am-or-where-i-ve-come-from-not-at/) [Gabriel Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-iglesias/) > [I'm not in any way selling out by having a record that's good enough for radio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnis/i-m-not-in-any-way-selling-out-by-having-a-record-that-s-good-enough/) [Donnis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnis/) > [I admire Mark Zuckerberg... for not selling out, for wanting to make a company. I admire that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-admire-mark-zuckerberg-for-not-selling-out-for-wanting-to-make-a/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More by Lily Tomlin > [If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in a library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-truth-is-beauty-how-come-no-one-has-their-hair-done-in-a-library/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“So if you've had a good time tonight, or if you've had a good time any night, for gosh sake's why not drop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/so-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-tonight-or-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-any/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/forgiveness-means-giving-up-all-hope-for-a-better-past/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I bought a box of animal crackers, but there was nothing inside. They'd eaten each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-bought-a-box-of-animal-crackers-but-there-was-nothing-inside-they-d/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [Wouldn't it be great if we all grew up to be what we wanted to be? The world would be full of nurses, firemen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-we-all-grew-up-to-be-what-we-wanted-to-be-the/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [You know being relevant or coming up with something interesting, funny to say about what's current is just as hard as it might ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/you-know-being-relevant-or-coming-up-with-something-interesting-funny/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I wanted to be a stage actress. I wanted to be a New York actress and have a community with other actors. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-wanted-to-be-a-stage-actress-i-wanted-to-be-a-new-york-actress-and/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [We have reason to believe that man first walked upright to free his hands for masturbation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-have-reason-to-believe-that-man-first-walked-upright-to-free-his/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-don-t-care-we-don-t-have-to-we-re-the-phone-company/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [No matter how cynical I get, I can't keep up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/no-matter-how-cynical-i-get-i-can-t-keep-up/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [In the depths of the night, fear grips my heart. It paralyzes my mind. But most of all, I feel very, very alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/in-the-depths-of-the-night-fear-grips-my-heart-it-paralyzes-my-mind/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. And then I realized I was somebody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-always-wondered-why-somebody-didn-t-do-something-about-that-and/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/sometimes-i-worry-about-being-a-success-in-a-mediocre-world/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [And yet humanity is so not evolved that how can you expect anything absolutely major to happen? Look how long, we move ahead in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/and-yet-humanity-is-so-not-evolved-that-how-can-you-expect-anything/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [The whole idea of being in captivity in such limited space, especially in a zoo, causes elephants to suffer. They develop all kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/the-whole-idea-of-being-in-captivity-in-such-limited-space-especially/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) [Explore all 135 Lily Tomlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## More Buyers quotes > [I would like to see a lot more buyers and also a lot less bargaining by local buyers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nandita-mahtani/i-would-like-to-see-a-lot-more-buyers-and-also-a-lot-less-bargaining/) [Nandita Mahtani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nandita-mahtani/) > [The most common cause of low prices is pessimism - some times pervasive, some times specific to a company or industry. We want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/the-most-common-cause-of-low-prices-is-pessimism-some-times-pervasive/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [As part of our ongoing series of reports on the environment, 'America Goes Green,' we take on the question that can make otherwise competent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-williams/as-part-of-our-ongoing-series-of-reports-on-the-environment-america/) [Brian Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-williams/) > [Some ticket buyers think they don't like Jews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-l-warner/some-ticket-buyers-think-they-don-t-like-jews/) [Jack L. Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-l-warner/) > [“the single biggest outcome of the Internet has been little understood: buyers are the winners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pecaut/the-single-biggest-outcome-of-the-internet-has-been-little-understood/) [Daniel Pecaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pecaut/) > [Men's clothing is more pure in design. It's more simple and has no decoration. Women want that. When I started designing, I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yohji-yamamoto/men-s-clothing-is-more-pure-in-design-it-s-more-simple-and-has-no/) [Yohji Yamamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yohji-yamamoto/) > [Grant me profits only, grant me the joy of profit made, and see to it that I enjoy cheating the buyer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/grant-me-profits-only-grant-me-the-joy-of-profit-made-and-see-to-it/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [Being in Loyola College exposed me to other options and gave me confidence, apart from the freedom to bunk classes. I became a merchandiser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suriya/being-in-loyola-college-exposed-me-to-other-options-and-gave-me/) [Suriya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suriya/) > [“But, learn that although all men are for sale, they don’t sell themselves to all buyers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-shellabarger/but-learn-that-although-all-men-are-for-sale-they-don-t-sell/) [Samuel Shellabarger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-shellabarger/) > [A jury could very well conclude that this is a case of buyer's remorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-buck/a-jury-could-very-well-conclude-that-this-is-a-case-of-buyer-s-remorse/) [Ken Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-buck/) > [It's always smart to know your market - what kind of buyers are looking in your neighborhood? What have other houses sold for in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-scott/it-s-always-smart-to-know-your-market-what-kind-of-buyers-are-looking/) [Drew Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-scott/) > [And old Dave, he'd go up to his room, y'understand, put on his green velvet slippers - I'll never forget - and pick up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/and-old-dave-he-d-go-up-to-his-room-y-understand-put-on-his-green/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [During the early 1960s, I decided to supplement research support for quantitative economic studies at Pennsylvania by selling econometric forecasts to private and public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/during-the-early-1960s-i-decided-to-supplement-research-support-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Smart art galleries know it's not the words on paper but the emotion in the piece that makes clients pull out the credit card…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/smart-art-galleries-know-it-s-not-the-words-on-paper-but-the-emotion/) [Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/) > [There's more student debt than credit card debt! Everywhere I go, I run into young people trying to build careers while they keep shelling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/there-s-more-student-debt-than-credit-card-debt-everywhere-i-go-i-run/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) [Browse all 202 Buyers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buyers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Truth is, I've always been selling out. 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