--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So true is it that all transactions of…" description: "\"So true is it that all transactions of preeminent importance are wrapt in doubt and obscurity; while some hold for certain facts the most precarious he..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/tacitus-1552_certain_so-true-is-it-that-all-transactions-of-p_17883.jpg" --- # So true is it that all transactions of preeminent… ![“So true is it that all transactions of preeminent importance are wrapt in doubt and obscurity; while some hold for certain facts the most precarious hearsays, others turn facts into falsehood; and both are exaggerated by posterity.” quote by Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/tacitus-1552_certain_so-true-is-it-that-all-transactions-of-p_17883.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/tacitus-1552_certain_so-true-is-it-that-all-transactions-of-p_17883.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/tacitus-1552_certain_so-true-is-it-that-all-transactions-of-p_17883.jpg) > “So true is it that all transactions of preeminent importance are wrapt in doubt and obscurity; while some hold for certain facts the most precarious hearsays, others turn facts into falsehood; and both are exaggerated by posterity.” [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Important decisions are often shrouded in uncertainty and misinformation, while others distort facts into falsehoods, both amplified over time. **In simple terms:** Doubt and distortion cloud crucial matters. Key Takeaway Beware of uncertainty and distortion in significant decisions. Themes uncertainty misinformation historical distortion critical thinking bias Mood cautious skeptical reflective Type philosophical historical cautionary When to use this quote - policy making - historical analysis - media reporting - legal judgments - personal decision making Key Concepts cognitive bias historical narrative information reliability Practical Applications - risk assessment - critical evaluation Questions to Reflect On - How can we identify underlying doubts in important decisions? - What methods help prevent distortion of facts over time? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Doubt Obscurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt-obscurity-387784/) [Exaggerated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exaggerated/) [Exaggerated Posterity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exaggerated-posterity-387785/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Facts Precarious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts-precarious-387781/) [Falsehood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsehood/) [Falsehood Exaggerated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsehood-exaggerated-387783/) [Hearsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearsay/) [Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance/) [Obscurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obscurity/) [Posterity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posterity/) [Precarious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precarious/) [Precarious Hearsays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precarious-hearsays-387782/) [Transactions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transactions/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) ## Related quotes > [So obscure are the greatest events, as some take for granted any hearsay, whatever its source, others turn truth into falsehood, and both errors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/so-obscure-are-the-greatest-events-as-some-take-for-granted-any/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/to-be-grateful-is-to-recognize-the-love-of-god-in-everything/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Spread joy and laughter, not hate and rumors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/spread-joy-and-laughter-not-hate-and-rumors/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [It is only by hearsay (by word of mouth passed down from generation to generation) that whole peoples adore the God of their fathers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/it-is-only-by-hearsay-by-word-of-mouth-passed-down-from-generation-to/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [“Questions are not happenstance thoughts nor are questions common problems of today which one picks up from hearsay and booklearning and decks out with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/questions-are-not-happenstance-thoughts-nor-are-questions-common/) [Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/) > [How can what an Englishman believes be hearsay? It is a contradiction in terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/how-can-what-an-englishman-believes-be-hearsay-it-is-a-contradiction/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“Taking your clothes off and spreading yourself on top of Roman Bradford’s desk is a bad idea.” “I was thinking more along the lines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-v-donovan/taking-your-clothes-off-and-spreading-yourself-on-top-of-roman/) [Taylor V. Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-v-donovan/) > [“You and your husband have, I think, been very fortunate to know so little, by experience, in your own case or in that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/you-and-your-husband-have-i-think-been-very-fortunate-to-know-so/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [ We \[tend to\] have more faith in what we imitate than in what we originate. We \[often feel that we\] cannot derive a sense… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/we-tend-to-have-more-faith-in-what-we-imitate-than-in-what-we/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [I'm trying to deal with ideas about histories, fame, hearsay, and how public identities are constructed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kruger/i-m-trying-to-deal-with-ideas-about-histories-fame-hearsay-and-how/) [Barbara Kruger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kruger/) > [It is thus with most of us; we are what other people say we are. We know ourselves chiefly by hearsay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-thus-with-most-of-us-we-are-what-other-people-say-we-are-we/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [We live in a world, a medieval type of world, where someone can accuse you - through gossip and hearsay, and all of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/we-live-in-a-world-a-medieval-type-of-world-where-someone-can-accuse/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [The case against Jeff Sessions was threadbare three decades ago. It's based on hearsay and innuendo and a joke he made about the Klan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-lowry/the-case-against-jeff-sessions-was-threadbare-three-decades-ago-it-s/) [Rich Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-lowry/) > [For men and women are not only themselves; they are also the region in which they are born, the city apartment or farm in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/for-men-and-women-are-not-only-themselves-they-are-also-the-region-in/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Memory itself is an internal rumour; and when to this hearsay within the mind we add the falsified echoes that reach us from others,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/memory-itself-is-an-internal-rumour-and-when-to-this-hearsay-within/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) ## More by Tacitus > [Benefits received are a delight to us as long as we think we can requite them; when that possibility is far exceeded, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/benefits-received-are-a-delight-to-us-as-long-as-we-think-we-can/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [Rumor does not always err; it sometimes even elects a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/rumor-does-not-always-err-it-sometimes-even-elects-a-man/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [ None mourn more ostentatiously than those who most rejoice at it \[a death\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/none-mourn-more-ostentatiously-than-those-who-most-rejoice-at-it-a/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [Be assured those will be thy worst enemies, not to whom thou hast done evil, but who have done evil to thee. And those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/be-assured-those-will-be-thy-worst-enemies-not-to-whom-thou-hast-done/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [Christianity is a pestilent superstition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/christianity-is-a-pestilent-superstition/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [Indeed, the crowning proof of their valour and their strength is that they keep up their superiority without harm to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/indeed-the-crowning-proof-of-their-valour-and-their-strength-is-that/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [Formerly we suffered from crimes; now we suffer from laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/formerly-we-suffered-from-crimes-now-we-suffer-from-laws/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [ None mourn more ostentatiously over the death of Germanicus than those who most rejoice at it \[a death\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/none-mourn-more-ostentatiously-over-the-death-of-germanicus-than/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [Once killing starts, it is difficult to draw the line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/once-killing-starts-it-is-difficult-to-draw-the-line/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [The lust of dominion burns with a flame so fierce as to overpower all other affections of the human breast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/the-lust-of-dominion-burns-with-a-flame-so-fierce-as-to-overpower-all/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [“It is a principle of nature to hate those whom you have injured.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/it-is-a-principle-of-nature-to-hate-those-whom-you-have-injured/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [Kindness, so far as we can return it, is agreeable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/kindness-so-far-as-we-can-return-it-is-agreeable/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [Posterity gives every man his true value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/posterity-gives-every-man-his-true-value/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [The most detestable race of enemies are flatterers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/the-most-detestable-race-of-enemies-are-flatterers/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [What is today supported by precedents will hereafter become a precedent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/what-is-today-supported-by-precedents-will-hereafter-become-a/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) [Explore all 227 Tacitus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) [T. H. 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