--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are 869 different forms of lying…" description: "\"There are 869 different forms of lying, but only one of them has been squarely forbidden. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.\" — Ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/mark-twain-22_bears_there-are-869-different-forms-of-lying-b_467203.png" --- # There are 869 different forms of lying, but only one of… ![“There are 869 different forms of lying, but only one of them has been squarely forbidden. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/mark-twain-22_bears_there-are-869-different-forms-of-lying-b_467203.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/mark-twain-22_bears_there-are-869-different-forms-of-lying-b_467203.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/mark-twain-22_bears_there-are-869-different-forms-of-lying-b_467203.png) > “There are 869 different forms of lying, but only one of them has been squarely forbidden. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. There are many ways to lie, but only one is explicitly prohibited: bearing false witness against a neighbor. **In simple terms:** Only one type of lie is clearly forbidden. Key Takeaway Avoid lying about others. Themes ethics honesty law Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - legal testimony - journalism - personal relationships - education - politics Key Concepts moral philosophy social contracts Questions to Reflect On - Why is false testimony singled out? - What are the consequences of other lies? A Different Perspective Other lies may still cause harm despite being technically allowed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [False witness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-witness/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Neighbor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbor/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Lying is a deliberate choice to mislead a target without giving any notification of the intent to do so. 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