William Hazlitt Quotes

It is an affront to treat falsehood with complaisance.

My only real advice to Oscar nominees is, 'If you haven't actually seen a competitor's film, don't fib and say you have and blow smoke up their wahooziewhatsits.' Always best to be frank and tell them the truth.

Well, the truth is always what should be told. And the truth and the knowledge of the truth is what everybody should represent, regardless of the consequences of doing it.

I have been given the authority over you, and I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me; and if I do wrong, set me right. Sincere regard for truth.

I would seriously question whether anybody is really foolish enough to really say what they mean. Sometimes I think that civilization as we know it would kind of break down if we all were completely honest.

There is no truth in him, and men who cannot tell the truth are not to be trusted either in public or private life.

Persons in high situations must particularly guard themselves against selfishness and vanity. An individual in a high and important situation will easily see a great many persons eager to please the first, and to flatter and encourage the last.

We tell only part of a man's qualities in his presence, and all of them when he is not present.

Our aversion to lying is commonly a secret ambition to make what we say considerable, and have every word received with a religious respect.

If you have any fault to find with anyone, tell him, not others, of what you complain; there is no more dangerous experiment than that of undertaking to be one thing before a man's face and another behind his back.

Say just what you mean to do on every occasion, and take it for granted you mean to do right.

I've never feared anyone or worried what they said as long as what I'm telling is the truth, and I'm not telling lies about people.

I respect the truth too much to drag it out on every occasion.

There is no point in asking a man a question until you have established whether he has any reason to lie to you.

I am honest and want to hear what the people have to say. I do not want to enrich myself in this job.

I'm an honorable human being. I know what to do and what not to do, and if I'm wrong, I always apologize. I'm a big enough man to do that.

It is dangerous to be sincere unless you are also stupid.

A nice person is a 'yes' person, whereas a good person is a person who accepts their responsibility in things and moves forward and tries to constantly evolve and isn't afraid to say no or challenge someone or be honest or truthful.

You can't lie to your audience. You can't lie to your fans.

Almost any difficulty will move in the face of honesty. When I am honest I never feel stupid. And when I am honest I am automatically humble.

Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.

If I conduct myself publicly and privately in a way that is honorable, not just to the people of the district that I represent but to God, then I will feel like I have been successful.

I'm almost incapable of lying. I'd be a terrible spy.

Being truthful is a necessity because when I'm not being truthful it takes a toll on me. I don't have any room for it in my life. I don't have an across-the-board opinion on honesty in relationships. But for me, personally, it's paramount.

One tells as few lies as possible only by telling as few lies as possible, and not by having the least possible opportunity to do so.