--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everybody makes honest mistakes, but…" description: "\"Everybody makes honest mistakes, but there's no such thing as an honest cover-up.\" — Price Pritchett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/price-pritchett-12389_cover-ups_everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-ther_592286.png" --- # Everybody makes honest mistakes, but there's no such thing… ![“Everybody makes honest mistakes, but there's no such thing as an honest cover-up.” quote by Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/price-pritchett-12389_cover-ups_everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-ther_592286.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/price-pritchett-12389_cover-ups_everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-ther_592286.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/price-pritchett-12389_cover-ups_everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-ther_592286.png) > “Everybody makes honest mistakes, but there's no such thing as an honest cover-up.” [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mistakes are inevitable, but cover‑ups cannot be truly honest. **In simple terms:** Honest mistakes, dishonest cover‑ups. Key Takeaway Prioritize transparency over deception. Themes ethics leadership integrity Mood reflective serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - business crises - personal relationships - public relations - legal matters Key Concepts accountability organizational culture Questions to Reflect On - When have you faced a cover‑up? - How does honesty affect outcomes? A Different Perspective Cover‑ups may be concealed but erode trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cover ups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cover-ups/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [I find the greatest songs in the world come out of pain, and I don't like it! Here's what it does: It strips away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-richie/i-find-the-greatest-songs-in-the-world-come-out-of-pain-and-i-don-t/) [Lionel Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-richie/) > [Necessity makes an honest man a knave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/necessity-makes-an-honest-man-a-knave/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [“To be honest and real makes us vulnerable, but it also makes us honest and real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-althouse/to-be-honest-and-real-makes-us-vulnerable-but-it-also-makes-us-honest/) [Tom Althouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-althouse/) > [Punishing honest mistakes stifles creativity. I want people moving and shaking the earth and they're going to make mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/punishing-honest-mistakes-stifles-creativity-i-want-people-moving-and/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [Be honest about mistakes. Even if you are afraid of what people think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/be-honest-about-mistakes-even-if-you-are-afraid-of-what-people-think/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [To be honest ,... we both made mistakes you were wrong, so was I. This realationship is not working between us. Now it's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syoung/to-be-honest-we-both-made-mistakes-you-were-wrong-so-was-i-this/) Syoung > [I've made some great mistakes in my life, but, you know, they were honest mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-ve-made-some-great-mistakes-in-my-life-but-you-know-they-were/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Give people, including yourself, clear permission to make mistakes . . . and to fix the problems. Since nobody's perfect, mistakes should be allowed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/give-people-including-yourself-clear-permission-to-make-mistakes-and/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [The good thing is that I'm always honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-linney/the-good-thing-is-that-i-m-always-honest/) [Laura Linney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-linney/) > [The thing about us is we're honest. If we're asked whether we take drugs, we say yes. I was brought up by my mom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/the-thing-about-us-is-we-re-honest-if-we-re-asked-whether-we-take/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [“Also, I’m not going to be devastated or anything either way. I’m not that kind of person. I just think if you don’t say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green-david-levithan/also-i-m-not-going-to-be-devastated-or-anything-either-way-i-m-not/) John Green David Levithan > [Sometimes we have to lie so that we do not needlessly hurt others. The important thing is that we are honest with ourselves. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/sometimes-we-have-to-lie-so-that-we-do-not-needlessly-hurt-others-the/) [F. Sionil José](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [He who says there is no such thing as an honest man, you may be sure is himself a knave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-berkeley/he-who-says-there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-honest-man-you-may-be-sure/) [George Berkeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-berkeley/) > [“I have often wondered whether it is really a good thing to be honest by nature and upbringing; certainly it is not a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-pym/i-have-often-wondered-whether-it-is-really-a-good-thing-to-be-honest/) [Barbara Pym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-pym/) > [“I just think if you don't say the honest thing, sometimes the honest thing never becomes true, you know, and I-”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-think-if-you-don-t-say-the-honest-thing-sometimes-the-honest/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by Price Pritchett > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [We can't win the struggle for high standards if we just talk a good game . . . we've got to play a good game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/we-can-t-win-the-struggle-for-high-standards-if-we-just-talk-a-good/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [As tough as it sometimes looks on the front end, it's easier to do right than undo wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/as-tough-as-it-sometimes-looks-on-the-front-end-it-s-easier-to-do/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [In these times of self-directed teams, empowered employees, and "boundaryless" organizations, your worth as an individual employee will also get measured by your work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/in-these-times-of-self-directed-teams-empowered-employees-and/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [Some people argue against both optimism and pessimism in favor of so-called realistic thinking. They distrust optimism on the grounds that it causes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/some-people-argue-against-both-optimism-and-pessimism-in-favor-of-so/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [Your doubts are not the product of accurate thinking, but habitual thinking. Years ago you excepted flawed conclusions as correct, begin to live your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/your-doubts-are-not-the-product-of-accurate-thinking-but-habitual/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [We all faced painful ethical challenges before we even knew how to spell our names. There were tough choices. Tradeoffs. Confusing signals regarding how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/we-all-faced-painful-ethical-challenges-before-we-even-knew-how-to/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [Excellence is a process, not just an outcome. Sure, we have to hold out for high standards in the products or services we provide.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/excellence-is-a-process-not-just-an-outcome-sure-we-have-to-hold-out/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [Notice that "I" is at the center of the word "ethical." There is no "they." Achieving the ethics of excellence is our individual assignment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/notice-that-i-is-at-the-center-of-the-word-ethical-there-is-no-they/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [The only way we can develop muscle is through regular exercise. As soon as we stop stretching and working toward higher ethics, our standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/the-only-way-we-can-develop-muscle-is-through-regular-exercise-as/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [When you hold out for high standards, people are impressed-but they don't always like you for it. Not everybody will be on your side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/when-you-hold-out-for-high-standards-people-are-impressed-but-they/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [If you must doubt something, doubt your limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/if-you-must-doubt-something-doubt-your-limits/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [High personal standards aren't enough for organizational excellence. You've got to be intolerant of low standards in others. . . . If you accommodate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/high-personal-standards-aren-t-enough-for-organizational-excellence/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [You can't put someone else in charge of your morals. Ethics is a personal discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-put-someone-else-in-charge-of-your-morals-ethics-is-a/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [If you become a giver, you'll make them feel like they want to reciprocate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/if-you-become-a-giver-you-ll-make-them-feel-like-they-want-to/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) [Explore all 55 Price Pritchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) ## More Cover ups quotes > [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [At the heart of the gay marriage argument is an untruth: unions of two men or women are not the same as unions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-gallagher/at-the-heart-of-the-gay-marriage-argument-is-an-untruth-unions-of-two/) [Maggie Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-gallagher/) > [If it suddenly became impossible for us to cover up all the junk we normally hide from the rest of humanity, I have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/if-it-suddenly-became-impossible-for-us-to-cover-up-all-the-junk-we/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [Every addiction arises from an unconscious refusal to face and move through your own pain. Every addiction starts with pain and ends with pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/every-addiction-arises-from-an-unconscious-refusal-to-face-and-move/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Cynics and critics wake us up. Kindness often covers up the truth and allows us to sleep on in our ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilferd-peterson/cynics-and-critics-wake-us-up-kindness-often-covers-up-the-truth-and/) [Wilferd Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilferd-peterson/) > [Most people use excuses to cover up mistakes, but it takes less time to do something right the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cheeke/most-people-use-excuses-to-cover-up-mistakes-but-it-takes-less-time/) [Robert Cheeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cheeke/) > [ Before, the myth of photography doesn't lie was used in order to cover up tricks. If I \[make a\] portrait \[of\] you, accommodate you,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-meyer/before-the-myth-of-photography-doesn-t-lie-was-used-in-order-to-cover/) [Pedro Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-meyer/) > [It was easy to cover up ignorance by the mystical word "intuition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/it-was-easy-to-cover-up-ignorance-by-the-mystical-word-intuition/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [ Playing the guitar is like telling the truth - you never have to worry about repeating the same \[lie\] if you told the truth.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/playing-the-guitar-is-like-telling-the-truth-you-never-have-to-worry/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) > [See that you do not use the trick of prayer to cover up what you know you ought to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/see-that-you-do-not-use-the-trick-of-prayer-to-cover-up-what-you-know/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [I have the happy circumstance of either being accused of political grandstanding on the one hand or cover-ups on the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-chandler/i-have-the-happy-circumstance-of-either-being-accused-of-political/) [Ben Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-chandler/) > [ The following of authority is the denial of intelligence. \[It\] may help us temporarily to cover up our difficulties and problems; but to avoid… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-following-of-authority-is-the-denial-of-intelligence-it-may-help/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I did a smaller gig with an acoustic guitar and a drum machine. In one song, something wrong happened with the drum machine. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/violante-placido/i-did-a-smaller-gig-with-an-acoustic-guitar-and-a-drum-machine-in-one/) [Violante Placido](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/violante-placido/) > [The history of successful cases, some of which are in this museum, illustrates that often the regulators and legislatures don't wake up until some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/the-history-of-successful-cases-some-of-which-are-in-this-museum/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [I keep having the urge to cross my hands over my chest, to cover up my breasts, to hide. I'm suddenly aware of how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-keep-having-the-urge-to-cross-my-hands-over-my-chest-to-cover-up-my/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) [Browse all 151 Cover ups quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cover-ups/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everybody makes honest mistakes, but there's no such thing as an honest cover-up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Price Pritchett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-there-s-no-such-thing-as-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cover ups" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-there-s-no-such-thing-as-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/price-pritchett-12389_cover-ups_everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-ther_592286.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/price-pritchett-12389_cover-ups_everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-ther_592286.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/price-pritchett-12389_cover-ups_everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-ther_592286.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Everybody makes honest mistakes, but there's no such thing as an honest cover-up.” — Price Pritchett", "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": "Price Pritchett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Everybody makes honest mistakes, but there's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-there-s-no-such-thing-as-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/everybody-makes-honest-mistakes-but-there-s-no-such-thing-as-an/#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 } } ] } ```