J. M. Coetzee Quotes

Although human beings are incapable of talking about themselves with total honesty, it is much harder to avoid the truth while pretending to be other people. They often reveal much about themselves in a very straightforward way. I am certain that I did. There is nothing that says more about its creator than the work itself.

You can lie to your wife or your boss, but you cannot lie to your typewriter. Sooner or later you must reveal your true self in your pages.

Our lies reveal as much about us as our truths

One can be absolutely truthful and sincere even though admittedly the most outrageous liar. Fiction and invention are of the very fabric of life.

People will always show their true selves in the end.

I do not just write, I write what I am. If there is a secret, perhaps that is it.

I get paid to lie to people as an actor. Country music is the one area that I don't lie. I tell the truth.

I'm an actor, but I am an awful liar.

It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.

I'm just writing about people. People are dark and complicated. I'm trying to tell the truth; that's all that I do.

Basically, I think that there are some characters that you can just allow the truth of your character as a human being in your real life to come through.

I prefer drawing to talking. Drawing is faster, and leaves less room for lies.

If you have what you want to say inside, and if you are crying for something that is true inside, it doesn't matter. The camera always sees it.

Use what language you will, you can never say anything but what you are.

I am trying to work out what my taste is, comedy-wise. I look up to stand up comedians who appear to be telling the truth, but I don't mind if they are lying.

People assume actors are born liars, but I'd argue the actor's job is to tell the truth. And I've realised I'm not a good liar.

Honestly we never lied to people about who we were. Usually the wackier interviews came to pass because the interview subjects, aware that we were Comedy Central, just wanted to get their stories out.

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.

He who does not need to lie is proud of not being a liar.

Even though I'm an actor, I'm a very bad liar.

What is the difference between the novelist and the liar? At some moments, I have often wondered.

People ask me about past projects I've worked on, and other things; I'm just really bad at lying. I have a bad poker face, so I just try to tell people how I'm feeling in the moment and really what I was trying to do.

The idea of a memoir is to tell the truth. I know that often the truth hurts, but a lie hurts even more.

If you don't tell the whole truth about yourself, life is a ridiculous exercise.