--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes you have to lie to tell the…" description: "\"Sometimes you have to lie to tell the truth.\" — Robert J. Flaherty" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/robert-j-flaherty-55665_lying_sometimes-you-have-to-lie-to-tell-the-tr_1402909.png" --- # Sometimes you have to lie to tell the truth. ![“Sometimes you have to lie to tell the truth.” quote by Robert J. Flaherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/robert-j-flaherty-55665_lying_sometimes-you-have-to-lie-to-tell-the-tr_1402909.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/robert-j-flaherty-55665_lying_sometimes-you-have-to-lie-to-tell-the-tr_1402909.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/robert-j-flaherty-55665_lying_sometimes-you-have-to-lie-to-tell-the-tr_1402909.png) > “Sometimes you have to lie to tell the truth.” [Robert J. Flaherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-flaherty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Occasionally deception is used to reveal deeper truths, but it raises ethical concerns. **In simple terms:** Lie to tell truth. Key Takeaway Use careful storytelling. Themes ethics truth communication Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - journalism - political speech - personal relationships Key Concepts philosophy media studies narrative theory Questions to Reflect On - When is a lie justified for a greater good? - What risks arise from deceptive truth‑telling? A Different Perspective Truth can be distorted by manipulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lie Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie-tell/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell/) [Tell Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-truth/) [Telling the truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-the-truth/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [I don't want to lie. I can't tell the truth. So it's over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-marber/i-don-t-want-to-lie-i-can-t-tell-the-truth-so-it-s-over/) [Patrick Marber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-marber/) > [“Never tell a lie when you can tell the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/never-tell-a-lie-when-you-can-tell-the-truth/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Don't tell me you love me when you really don't. Don't lie when you should tell me the truth. Don't hug me if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknowm/don-t-tell-me-you-love-me-when-you-really-don-t-don-t-lie-when-you/) [Unknowm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknowm/) > [ \[On Richard M. Nixon:\] Americans began with a president who couldn't tell a lie and now they have one who can't tell the truth. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benazir-bhutto/on-richard-m-nixon-americans-began-with-a-president-who-couldn-t-tell/) [Benazir Bhutto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benazir-bhutto/) > [If you tell a lie, tell a big one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/if-you-tell-a-lie-tell-a-big-one/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [Always tell the truth or the truth will tell on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-k-sonnenberg/always-tell-the-truth-or-the-truth-will-tell-on-you/) [Frank K. Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-k-sonnenberg/) > [Tell the truth and you won't have so much to remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/tell-the-truth-and-you-won-t-have-so-much-to-remember/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [You must have plenty of sea-room to tell the truth in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/you-must-have-plenty-of-sea-room-to-tell-the-truth-in/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [Try to live so that you can always tell the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/try-to-live-so-that-you-can-always-tell-the-truth/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [Be a best friend. Tell the truth. And overuse "I love you"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-brice/be-a-best-friend-tell-the-truth-and-overuse-i-love-you/) [Lee Brice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-brice/) > [If you want to be thought a liar, always tell the truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-pearsall-smith/if-you-want-to-be-thought-a-liar-always-tell-the-truth/) [Logan Pearsall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-pearsall-smith/) > [When you're playing country music, you have to tell the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-kane/when-you-re-playing-country-music-you-have-to-tell-the-truth/) [Christian Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-kane/) > [Tell the truth or trump-but get the trick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/tell-the-truth-or-trump-but-get-the-trick/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Tell the truth and not the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/tell-the-truth-and-not-the-facts/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [It requires as much to tell the truth as to conceal it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/it-requires-as-much-to-tell-the-truth-as-to-conceal-it/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) ## More by Robert J. Flaherty > [Singleton has an almost uncanny ability to resist being caught up in the fads and fancies of the moment. Like most great innovators \[and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-flaherty/singleton-has-an-almost-uncanny-ability-to-resist-being-caught-up-in/) [Robert J. Flaherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-flaherty/) > [All art is a kind of exploring. To discover and reveal is the way every artist sets about his business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-flaherty/all-art-is-a-kind-of-exploring-to-discover-and-reveal-is-the-way/) [Robert J. Flaherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-flaherty/) > [There's a saying among prospectors: 'Go out looking for one thing, and that's all you'll ever find.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-flaherty/there-s-a-saying-among-prospectors-go-out-looking-for-one-thing-and/) [Robert J. Flaherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-flaherty/) > [Go out looking for one thing, and that's all you'll ever find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-flaherty/go-out-looking-for-one-thing-and-that-s-all-you-ll-ever-find/) [Robert J. Flaherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-flaherty/) > [Sometimes you have to lie. One often has to distort a thing to catch its true spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-flaherty/sometimes-you-have-to-lie-one-often-has-to-distort-a-thing-to-catch/) [Robert J. Flaherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-flaherty/) [Explore all 6 Robert J. Flaherty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-flaherty/) ## More Lying quotes > [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Heaven lies around us in our infancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/heaven-lies-around-us-in-our-infancy/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [ \[Islam\] Leaves no room of human legislation in an Islamic state, because herein all legislative functions vest in God and the only function left… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abul-a-la-maududi/islam-leaves-no-room-of-human-legislation-in-an-islamic-state-because/) [Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abul-a-la-maududi/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) [Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/) > [I just can’t, Nick, okay? Now, please give me a second to lie here in silence and bleed.” – Caleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/i-just-can-t-nick-okay-now-please-give-me-a-second-to-lie-here-in/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [falsehood is not more unjustifiable than unsafe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-burney/falsehood-is-not-more-unjustifiable-than-unsafe/) [Fanny Burney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-burney/) > [There are no white lies, there is only the blackest of destruction, and a white lie is the blackest of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/there-are-no-white-lies-there-is-only-the-blackest-of-destruction-and/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [It lies around us like a cloud- A world we do not see; Yet the sweet closing of an eye May bring us there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/it-lies-around-us-like-a-cloud-a-world-we-do-not-see-yet-the-sweet/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) [Browse all 13,166 Lying quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes you have to lie to tell the truth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert J. 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