--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No man should tell a lie unless he is…" description: "\"No man should tell a lie unless he is shrewd enough to recognize the time for renouncing it, if and when it comes, and knows how to renounce it gracefu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b1/rex-stout-2846_enough_no-man-should-tell-a-lie-unless-he-is-sh_2341254.jpg" --- # No man should tell a lie unless he is shrewd enough to… ![“No man should tell a lie unless he is shrewd enough to recognize the time for renouncing it, if and when it comes, and knows how to renounce it gracefully.” quote by Rex Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b1/rex-stout-2846_enough_no-man-should-tell-a-lie-unless-he-is-sh_2341254.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b1/rex-stout-2846_enough_no-man-should-tell-a-lie-unless-he-is-sh_2341254.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b1/rex-stout-2846_enough_no-man-should-tell-a-lie-unless-he-is-sh_2341254.jpg) > “No man should tell a lie unless he is shrewd enough to recognize the time for renouncing it, if and when it comes, and knows how to renounce it gracefully.” [Rex Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-stout/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A lie should be told only when one can later renounce it skillfully, acknowledging the right moment to admit falsehood. **In simple terms:** Lie only if you can later admit it gracefully. Key Takeaway Speak truthfully; if lying, be prepared to own it. Themes honesty integrity timing Mood reflective cautious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - political negotiations - personal relationships - legal testimony Key Concepts ethical decisionmaking self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - When have you needed to retract a falsehood? - How can you prepare for graceful admission? A Different Perspective Renouncing a lie may damage trust if not handled delicately. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [It is often the case that a man who cant tell a lie thinks he is the best judge of one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-is-often-the-case-that-a-man-who-cant-tell-a-lie-thinks-he-is-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [An animal may be ferocious and cunning enough, but it takes a real man to tell a lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-animal-may-be-ferocious-and-cunning-enough-but-it-takes-a-real-man-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If Lucas is cheating on Lindsey, than he has to be man enough to tell her himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-scott/if-lucas-is-cheating-on-lindsey-than-he-has-to-be-man-enough-to-tell/) [Nathan Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-scott/) > [Growing up in the '70s, if you were a girl or woman, a man could tell you what to do - if you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/growing-up-in-the-70s-if-you-were-a-girl-or-woman-a-man-could-tell/) [Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/) > [There are some occasions in which a man must tell half his secret, in order to conceal the rest; but there is seldom one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/there-are-some-occasions-in-which-a-man-must-tell-half-his-secret-in-2/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [A man must not always tell all, for that be folly; but what a man says should be what he thinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/a-man-must-not-always-tell-all-for-that-be-folly-but-what-a-man-says/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The worst thing you can do to a man is to tell him he can have what he wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-worst-thing-you-can-do-to-a-man-is-to-tell-him-he-can-have-what/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [What is the world coming to, with these modern women? A man can't tell them what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/what-is-the-world-coming-to-with-these-modern-women-a-man-can-t-tell/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) > [Watch their hands, watch their eyes. Read eyes. No matter what a man is saying to you, it's not as important as what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/watch-their-hands-watch-their-eyes-read-eyes-no-matter-what-a-man-is/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [There are some occasions in which a man must tell half his secret, in order to conceal the rest: but there is seldom one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/there-are-some-occasions-in-which-a-man-must-tell-half-his-secret-in/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [A brave man will admit when he is wrong. A prideful man will point out when he is right. A dead man will tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-brave-man-will-admit-when-he-is-wrong-a-prideful-man-will-point-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dad is someone who teach's you to ride your first bike. Someone who who will make you trying until you achieve your dreams.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-dad-is-someone-who-teach-s-you-to-ride-your-first-bike-someone-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never knew a man could tell so many lies, he had a different story for every set of eyes. How can he remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-never-knew-a-man-could-tell-so-many-lies-he-had-a-different-story/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [“Never let a man tell you you're not worth anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sejla-cesko/never-let-a-man-tell-you-you-re-not-worth-anything/) Sejla Cesko > [A real man will tell a girl that he loves her straightly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arielle-aguinaldo-de-jesus/a-real-man-will-tell-a-girl-that-he-loves-her-straightly/) Arielle Aguinaldo De Jesus ## More by Rex Stout > [A person who does not read cannot think. He may have good mental processes, but he has nothing to think about. 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It's childish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-stout/frankly-i-wish-i-could-make-my-heart-quit-doing-an-extra-thump-when/) [Rex Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-stout/) > [What good is an obscenity trial except to popularize literature?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-stout/what-good-is-an-obscenity-trial-except-to-popularize-literature/) [Rex Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-stout/) > [In a world that operates largely at random, coincidences are to be expected, but any one of them must always be mistrusted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-stout/in-a-world-that-operates-largely-at-random-coincidences-are-to-be/) [Rex Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-stout/) > [“everything from war to picnics depends on the weather, as Wolfe remarked”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-stout/everything-from-war-to-picnics-depends-on-the-weather-as-wolfe/) [Rex Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-stout/) > [The more you put in your brain, the more it will hold -- if you have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-stout/the-more-you-put-in-your-brain-the-more-it-will-hold-if-you-have-one/) [Rex Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-stout/) > [“When we turned right on Thirty-fifth Street our suffix came along. 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Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) Rena Kornreich Gelissen > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. 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