--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a terrible thing, to lie. It's a…" description: "\"“It's a terrible thing, to lie. It's a field you keep seeding and watering and plowing, but nothing will ever grow on it.”\" — Marisha Pessl" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/marisha-pessl-1802_plowing_it-s-a-terrible-thing-to-lie-it-s-a-fiel_1221749.png" --- # It's a terrible thing, to lie. It's a field you keep… ![“It's a terrible thing, to lie. It's a field you keep seeding and watering and plowing, but nothing will ever grow on it.” quote by Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/marisha-pessl-1802_plowing_it-s-a-terrible-thing-to-lie-it-s-a-fiel_1221749.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/marisha-pessl-1802_plowing_it-s-a-terrible-thing-to-lie-it-s-a-fiel_1221749.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f0/marisha-pessl-1802_plowing_it-s-a-terrible-thing-to-lie-it-s-a-fiel_1221749.png) > ““It's a terrible thing, to lie. It's a field you keep seeding and watering and plowing, but nothing will ever grow on it.”” [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Deception harms the deceiver, creating a barren mental landscape that yields no growth. **In simple terms:** Lying creates a barren field. Key Takeaway Avoid lying to cultivate real growth. Themes ethics trust consequences Mood reflective somber Type moral philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - leadership - mental health Key Concepts psychology integrity self‑deception Questions to Reflect On - Can you think of a time when a lie seemed necessary? - What long‑term costs did the lie incur? A Different Perspective Lying may sometimes be used to protect others, complicating moral judgment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [There are times when the most practical thing is to lie down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-are-times-when-the-most-practical-thing-is-to-lie-down/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Best thing in lie is that you wake up everyday and still laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/best-thing-in-lie-is-that-you-wake-up-everyday-and-still-laugh/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Seems to me that the important thing about a lie is not the content, but the way it is told, the spirit of it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lake-union-publishing/seems-to-me-that-the-important-thing-about-a-lie-is-not-the-content/) [Lake Union Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lake-union-publishing/) > [It's one thing to lie,...but to not lie well is insulting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-nathaniel-butler/it-s-one-thing-to-lie-but-to-not-lie-well-is-insulting/) [Eugene Nathaniel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-nathaniel-butler/) > [“The Bible says that man lying with another man as with a woman is an abomination. I have never lain with a man as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-a-hoffman/the-bible-says-that-man-lying-with-another-man-as-with-a-woman-is-an/) [W.A. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-a-hoffman/) > [~ Saying lies are not always a bad thing because sometimes you must lie to protect something which is almost at the verge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince/saying-lies-are-not-always-a-bad-thing-because-sometimes-you-must-lie/) [Vince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince/) > [“And the Latin quote across your heart? What does it mean?” “Lie about one thing, lie about it all...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-gracia-williams/and-the-latin-quote-across-your-heart-what-does-it-mean-lie-about-one/) [Whitney Gracia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-gracia-williams/) > [“If a woman lies to you the best thing to do is never lie beside her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses-sharma/if-a-woman-lies-to-you-the-best-thing-to-do-is-never-lie-beside-her/) Moses Sharma > [“Trust your heart."..."It's the only thing that will never lie to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/trust-your-heart-it-s-the-only-thing-that-will-never-lie-to-you/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [“Lying is not a good thing to do. When you lie:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-berry/lying-is-not-a-good-thing-to-do-when-you-lie/) [Joy Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-berry/) > [If you lie to the whole WORLD its GOOD If you want to become successful Then do only one thing NEVER LIE TO YOURSELF](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajat-dogra/if-you-lie-to-the-whole-world-its-good-if-you-want-to-become/) [Rajat Dogra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajat-dogra/) > [“An Important thing : never lie to yourself, for real... worst thing is when you lie to yourself, you just keep doing it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-kastrati/an-important-thing-never-lie-to-yourself-for-real-worst-thing-is-when/) Nicky Kastrati > [“I don't even want to spend the rest of my life with me.. how do you explain to someone you love that you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-buxbaum/i-don-t-even-want-to-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-with-me-how-do-you/) [Julie Buxbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-buxbaum/) > [“The truth is a fragile thing, but a lie, well told, can live forever. “ — Mark Twain”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-nugent/the-truth-is-a-fragile-thing-but-a-lie-well-told-can-live-forever/) Rebecca Nugent > [A lie to get out of something, or take an advantage for oneself, that’s one thing; but a lie to make life more interesting—well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-vreeland/a-lie-to-get-out-of-something-or-take-an-advantage-for-oneself-that-s/) [Diana Vreeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-vreeland/) ## More by Marisha Pessl > [“America's greatest revelation was not the atom bomb, not Fundamentalism, not fat farms, not Elvis, not even the quite astute observation that gentlemen prefer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/america-s-greatest-revelation-was-not-the-atom-bomb-not/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [“I remembered what Dad said once, that some people have all of life's answers worked out the day they're born and there's no use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/i-remembered-what-dad-said-once-that-some-people-have-all-of-life-s/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [“But you go through with it, continue to fight, because you hope one day it won’t be like this. Life can be so cruel.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/but-you-go-through-with-it-continue-to-fight-because-you-hope-one-day/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [“The dark side of life has a way of finding us all anyway, so stop chasing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/the-dark-side-of-life-has-a-way-of-finding-us-all-anyway-so-stop/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [“ Secrets —even in hardened criminals, they were just air pockets lodged under debris at the bottom of an ocean. It might take an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/secrets-even-in-hardened-criminals-they-were-just-air-pockets-lodged/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [It's kind of funny...the moments on which life hinges. I think growing up you always imagine your life--your success--depends on your family and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/it-s-kind-of-funny-the-moments-on-which-life-hinges-i-think-growing/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [“It was the cause of many of Dad's outrages too, when people elected themselves his personal oracle of Delphi... They'd made the mistake of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/it-was-the-cause-of-many-of-dad-s-outrages-too-when-people-elected/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [“Today dies a crooked and gluttonus man' - it was true, at least literally; McCullough allegedly weighed three hundred pounds and suffered from scoliosis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/today-dies-a-crooked-and-gluttonus-man-it-was-true-at-least-literally/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [Always live your life with your biography in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/always-live-your-life-with-your-biography-in-mind/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [Life was a freight train barreling toward just one stop, our loved ones streaking past our windows in blurs of color and light. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/life-was-a-freight-train-barreling-toward-just-one-stop-our-loved/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [“Whilst man is in one location, he thinks of another. Dancing with one woman, he can't help but long to see the quiet curve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/whilst-man-is-in-one-location-he-thinks-of-another-dancing-with-one/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [His characters are ravaged, beaten. They walk through infernos and emerged charred doves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/his-characters-are-ravaged-beaten-they-walk-through-infernos-and/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [“A deus ex machina will never appear in real life so you best make other arrangements.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/a-deus-ex-machina-will-never-appear-in-real-life-so-you-best-make/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [“Well, everyone and their grandmother knows she's still banging Charles after all these years —" "Like a screen in a tornado. Sure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/well-everyone-and-their-grandmother-knows-she-s-still-banging-charles/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [I think every writer has a book that haunts them, and on some level, every book you write is a reaction to it. 'Lolita'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/i-think-every-writer-has-a-book-that-haunts-them-and-on-some-level/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) [Explore all 205 Marisha Pessl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) ## More Plowing quotes > [The most peaceful thing in the world is plowing a field. Chances are you’ll do your best thinking that way. And that’s why I’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-peaceful-thing-in-the-world-is-plowing-a-field-chances-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No one lives on the top of the mountain. It's fine to go there occasionally -for inspiration, for new perspectives. But you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-gordon-webster/no-one-lives-on-the-top-of-the-mountain-it-s-fine-to-go-there/) [Arthur Gordon Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-gordon-webster/) > [If you were plowing a field, which would you rather use? Two strong oxen or 1024 chickens?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/if-you-were-plowing-a-field-which-would-you-rather-use-two-strong/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [Goyim were born only to serve us. Without that, they have no place in the world - only to serve the People of Israel,.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovadia-yosef/goyim-were-born-only-to-serve-us-without-that-they-have-no-place-in/) [Ovadia Yosef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovadia-yosef/) > [I observed that the successful farmer worked at his job. He would do his plowing, disking, harrowing, seeding, and harvesting in the proper season…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-eldon-tanner/i-observed-that-the-successful-farmer-worked-at-his-job-he-would-do/) [Nathan Eldon Tanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-eldon-tanner/) > [Easy for you to say. You’re the one who got plowed. I was doing the plowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-lynn/easy-for-you-to-say-you-re-the-one-who-got-plowed-i-was-doing-the/) [J. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-lynn/) > [All successful people learn that success is buried on the other side of frustration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/all-successful-people-learn-that-success-is-buried-on-the-other-side/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Sir" said Mrs. Meade indignantly. "There are NO deserters in the Confederate army." "I beg your pardon," said Rhett with mock humility. "I meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/sir-said-mrs-meade-indignantly-there-are-no-deserters-in-the/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [He who is learning and learning and doesn't apply what he knows is like the one who is plowing and plowing and doesn't seed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/he-who-is-learning-and-learning-and-doesn-t-apply-what-he-knows-is/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [I might be half Derek's size, but I was the one who sounded like a two-hundred-pound beast plowing through the woods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/i-might-be-half-derek-s-size-but-i-was-the-one-who-sounded-like-a-two/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [Writing itself is a bad enough trade, rightly held up to ridicule and contempt by the greater part of mankind, and especially by those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/writing-itself-is-a-bad-enough-trade-rightly-held-up-to-ridicule-and/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [Critics are like horse-flies which hinder the horses in their plowing of the soil. The horse works, all its muscles drawn tight like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/critics-are-like-horse-flies-which-hinder-the-horses-in-their-plowing/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [That good gardener, who wept thorns plowing his fields - harvests grace with joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/that-good-gardener-who-wept-thorns-plowing-his-fields-harvests-grace/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [... family and friends aren't always ready to make the journey when you are, and you just have to keep plowing along whether they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bancroft/family-and-friends-aren-t-always-ready-to-make-the-journey-when-you/) [Anne Bancroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bancroft/) > [I would supplant the ox with the automobile and pave instead of plowing the fields. 1 have a theory that if a corn field…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/i-would-supplant-the-ox-with-the-automobile-and-pave-instead-of/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) Browse all 53 Plowing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's a terrible thing, to lie. 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