An aphorism is nothing else but the slightest
QUOTES AND APHORISMS ON TRUTH 1
Too much truth is uncouth.
Franklin P. Adams (1881-1960, American journalist, humorist)
If ever we hear a case of lying, we must look for a severe parents. A lie would have no sense unless the truth were felt as dangerous.
Alfred Adler (1870-1937, Austrian psychiatrist)
The truth is often a terrible weapon of aggression. It is possible to lie, and even to murder, for the truth.
Alfred Adler (1870-1937, Austrian psychiatrist)
Every truth has two sides. It is well to look at both before we commit ourselves to either side.
Aesop (620-560 BC, Greek fabulist)
Truth is the vital breath of Beauty; Beauty the outward form of Truth.
Grace Aguilar
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.
Winston Churchill (1874-1965, British statesman, Prime Minister)
That in the beginning when the world was young there were a great many thoughts but no such thing as truth. Man made the truths himself and each truth was a composite of a great many vague thoughts. All about in the world were truths and they were all beautiful.
Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941 American writer)
The trouble with lying and deceiving is that their efficiency depends entirely upon a clear notion of the truth that the liar and deceiver wishes to hide. In this sense, truth, even if it does not prevail in public, possesses an ineradicable primacy over all falsehoods.
Hannah Arendt (1906-1975, German-born American political philosopher)
The truth is forced upon us, very quickly, by a foe.
Aristophanes (BC 448-380, Greek comic poet, satirist)
Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth.
Aristotle (BC 384-322, Greek philosopher)
The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold.
Aristotle (BC 384-322, Greek philosopher)
There is at least one thing more brutal than the truth, and that is the consequence of saying less than the truth.
Grace Atkinson
Truth has never been, can never be, contained in any one creed or system.
Mary Augusta
One universe made up all that is; and one God in it all, and one principle of being, and one law, the reason shared by all thinking creatures, and one truth.
Marcus Aurelius (121-12180, Roman emperor, philosopher)
We catch on to the truth and technique of expectation in those rare moments when we are stirred by an awareness of a guidance seemingly higher and greater than our own, when for a little while we are taken over by a force and an intelligence above and beyond those commonly felt. Confident and free, filled with wonder and ready acceptance, we permit ourselves to be taken over by our unquestioning self.
Dr. Marcus Bach (1901-, American authority on the world's religions and inter-cultural relations)
Not being known doesn't stop the truth from being true.
Richard Bach (1936-, American author)
Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but the mark of a fake messiah.
Richard Bach (1936-, American author) Source: The Savior's Manual
Error always addresses the passions and prejudices; truth scorns such mean intrigue, and only addresses the understanding and the conscience.
Azel Backus (1765-1817, American educator)
It is a pleasure to stand upon the shore, and to see ships tost upon the sea: a pleasure to stand in the window of a castle, and to see a battle and the adventures thereof below: but no pleasure is comparable to standing upon the vantage ground of truth... and to see the errors, and wanderings, and mists, and tempests, in the vale below.
Francis Bacon (1561-1626, British philosopher, essayist, statesman)
Truth arises more readily from error than from confusion.
Francis Bacon (1561-1626, British philosopher, essayist, statesman)
What is truth? said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer.
Francis Bacon (1561-1626, British philosopher, essayist, statesman)
Falsehood is cowardice, the truth courage.
Hosea Ballou (1771-1852, American theologian, founder of "Universalism")
For truth is precious and divine, too rich a pearl for carnal swine.
Samuel Butler (1612-1680, British poet, satirist)
You never find yourself until you face the truth.
Pearl Bailey (1918-1990, American vocalist, movie and stage actress)
A platitude is simply a truth repeated till people get tired of hearing it.
James Baldwin (1924-1987, American author)
We take our shape, it is true, within and against that cage of reality bequeathed us at our birth; and yet is precisely through our dependence on this reality that we are most endlessly betrayed.
James Baldwin (1924-1987, American author)
It is unfortunate, considering that enthusiasm moves the world, that so few enthusiasts can be trusted to speak the truth.
Arthur James Balfour (1848-1930, British Prime Minister)
There's a little truth in all jive, and a little jive in all truth.
Leonard Barnes
Truth can be outraged by silence quite as cruelly as by speech.
Amelia E. Barr (1831-1919, Anglo-American novelist)
With the truth, you need to get rid of it as soon as possible and pass it on to someone else. As with illness, this is the only way to be cured of it. The person who keeps truth in his hands has lost.
Jean Baudrillard (French postmodern philosopher, writer)
Nothing is poorer than a truth expressed as it was thought. Committed to writing in such cases, it is not even a bad photograph. Truth wants to be startled abruptly, at one stroke, from her self-immersion, whether by uproar, music or cries for help.
Walter Benjamin (1982-1940, German critic, philosopher)
Between truth and the search for it, I choose the second.
Bernard Berenson (1865-1959, Lithuanian-born American artist)
Truth is the cry of all, but the game of few.
George Berkeley (1685-1753, Irish-born British bishop, philosopher)
There is an element of truth in every idea that lasts long enough to be called corny.
Irving Berlin (1888-1989, Russian composer)
Truth -- an ingenious compound of desirability and appearance.
Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914, American author, editor, journalist, "The Devil's Dictionary")
As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand.
Josh Billings (1815-1885, American humorist, lecturer)
I will tell you the truth as soon as I figure it out.
Wayne Birmingham
When you want to fool the world, tell the truth.
Otto Von Bismarck (1815-1898, Russian statesman, Prime Minister)
A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent.
William Blake (1757-1827, British poet, painter)
For everything exists and not one sigh nor smile nor tear, one hair nor particle of dust, not one can pass away.
William Blake (1757-1827, British poet, painter)
Truth can never be told so as to be understood, and not be believed.
William Blake (1757-1827, British poet, painter)
When I tell any truth it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those who do.
William Blake (1757-1827, British poet, painter)
The great seal of truth is simplicity.
Herman Boerhaave (1668-1738, Dutch physician, botanist)
The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.
Niels Bohr (1885-1962, Danish physicist)
There are trivial truths and the great truths. The opposite of a trivial truth is plainly false. The opposite of a great truth is also true.
Niels Bohr (1885-1962, Danish physicist)
Truth alone wounds.
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821, French general, emperor)
Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth.
Ludwig Borne
Eclecticism. Every truth is so true that any truth must be false.
Francis H. Bradley (1846-1924, British philosopher)
It's essential to tell the truth at all times. This will reduce life's pain. Lying distorts reality. All forms of distorted thinking must be corrected.
John Bradshaw (American author, lecturer, leading expert, recovery & dysfunctional families)
The stream of time sweeps away errors, and leaves the truth for the inheritance of humanity.
George Brandes (1842-1927, Swedish author)
There is an abiding beauty which may be appreciated by those who will see things as they are and who will ask for no reward except to see.
Vera Brittain (1893-1970, British writer)
A man may be in as just possession of truth as of a city, and yet be forced to surrender.
Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682, British author, physician, philosopher)
Truth lies within ourselves: it takes no rise from outward things, whatever you may believe. There is an inmost center in us all, where truth abides in fullness and to know rather consists in opening out a way whence the imprisoned splendor may escape than in effecting entry for light supposed to be without.
Robert Browning (1812-1889, British poet)
Truth never hurts the teller.
Robert Browning (1812-1889, British poet)
Truth gets well if she is run over by a locomotive, while error dies of lockjaw if she scratches her finger.
William C. Bryant (1794-1878, American poet, newspaper editor)
Truth is always exciting. Speak it, then; life is dull without it.
Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973, American novelist)
One of the sublimest things in the world is plain truth.
Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873, British novelist, poet)
There is no such source of error as the pursuit of truth.
Samuel Butler (1612-1680, British poet, satirist)
Truth is always strange, stranger than fiction.
Lord Byron (1788-1824, British poet)
A few observation and much reasoning lead to error; many observations and a little reasoning to truth.
Dr. Alexis Carrel (1873-1944, French biologist)
Truth, however bitter, can be accepted, and woven into a design for living.
Agatha Christie (1891-1976, British mystery writer)
We call first truths those we discover after all the others.
Albert Camus (1913-1960, French existential writer)
What I tell you three times is true.
Lewis Carroll (1832-1898, British writer, mathematician)
Truth may be stretched, but cannot be broken, and always gets above falsehood, as oil does above water.
Miguel De Cervantes (1547-1616, Spanish novelist, dramatist, poet)
Truth will rise above falsehood as oil above water.
Miguel De Cervantes (1547-1616, Spanish novelist, dramatist, poet)
We prove what we want to prove, and the real difficulty is to know what we want to prove.
Emile Auguste Chartier
Truth must necessarily be stranger than fiction, for fiction is the creation of the human mind and therefore congenial to it.
Gilbert K. Chesterton (1874-1936, British author)
You can only find truth with logic if you have already found truth without it.
Gilbert K. Chesterton (1874-1936, British author)
Truth is simply whatever you can bring yourself to believe.
Alice Childress
Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.
Winston Churchill (1874-1965, British statesman, Prime Minister)
In everything truth surpasses the imitation and copy.
Marcus T. Cicero (c. 106-43 BC, Roman orator, politician)
See it like it is!
Herb Cohen
It is your work to clear away the mass of encumbering material of thoughts, so that you may bring into plain view the precious thing at the center of the mass.
Robert Collier (1885-1950, American writer, publisher)
It is your work to clear away the mass of encumbering material of thoughts, so that you may bring into plain view the precious thing at the center of the mass.
Robert Collier (1885-1950, American writer, publisher)
The greatest friend of truth is Time, her greatest enemy is Prejudice, and her constant companion is Humility.
Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832, British sportsman writer)
It is man that makes truth great, not truth that makes man great.
Confucius (BC 551-479, Chinese ethical teacher, philosopher)
Knowing the truth is not as good as loving it; loving it is not as good as delighting in it.
Confucius (BC 551-479, Chinese ethical teacher, philosopher)
Everybody says it, and what everybody says must be true.
James F. Cooper (1789-1851, American novelist)
Ceremony leads her bigots forth, prepared to fight for shadows of no worth. While truths, on which eternal things depend, can hardly find a single friend.
William Cowper (1731-1800, British poet)
Our job is only to hold up the mirror -- to tell and show the public what has happened.
Walter Cronkite (1916-, American broadcast journalist)
Much truth is spoken, that more may be concealed.
Sir Charles Darling
Chase after the truth like all hell and you'll free yourself, even though you never touch its coat tails.
Clarence Darrow (1857-1938, American lawyer)
The pursuit of truth will set you free; even if you never catch up with it.
Clarence Darrow (1857-1938, American lawyer)
The love of truth lies at the root of much humor.
Robertson Davies (1913-1995, Canadian novelist, journalist)
You never see what you want to see, forever playing to the gallery.
Robertson Davies (1913-1995, Canadian novelist, journalist)
Truth is like heat or light; its vibrations are endless, and are endlessly felt.
Margaret Deland
Part of my job is to train people to break down an involved question into a series of simple matters. Then we can all act intelligently
Richard Deupree
There is nothing so strong or safe in an emergency of life as the simple truth.
Charles Dickens (1812-1870, British novelist)
Tell the truth, but tell it slant.
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886, American poet)
Truth is so rare that it is delightful to tell it.
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886, American poet)
Most of our platitudes notwithstanding, self-deception remains the most difficult deception. The tricks that worked on others count for nothing in that very well-lit back alley where one keeps assignations with oneself no winning smiles will do here, no prettily drawn list of good intentions.
Joan Didion (1934-, American essayist)
Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so you apologize for truth.
Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881, British statesman, Prime Minister)
Something unpleasant is coming when men are anxious to tell the truth.
Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881, British statesman, Prime Minister)
Time is precious, but truth is more precious than time.
Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881, British statesman, Prime Minister)
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930, British author, "Sherlock Holmes")
Truth always originates in a minority of one, and every custom begins as a broken precedent.
William J. Durant (1885-1981, American historian, essayist)
Truth disappears with the telling of it.
Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990, British author)
Only the hand that erases can write the true thing.
Meister Eckhart (1260-1326, German mystic)
Truth has no beginning.
Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910, American founder of the Christian Science Church)
All these constructions and the laws connecting them can be arrived at by the principle of looking for the mathematically simplest concepts and the link between them.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955, German-born American physicist)
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