Ethan Canin Quotes

I think it's just too much trouble to be dishonest and keep up with yourself.

Man is bound to lie about himself

I'm not saying I'm the perfect role model. But I'm honest. Period.

He who observes etiquette but objects to lying is like someone who dresses fashionably but wears no vest.

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

When a person cannot deceive himself the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.

I'm a really bad liar.

He who is dishonest with respect to speech, is dishonest in everything.

I doubt he knows himself when he’s not telling the truth.

Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself

I'm the worst liar - I can't lie for my life. And I don't lie at all, because I'm the worst liar - but as a kid, I thought I was a great liar, so I would lie all the time, but everybody knew I was lying.

It is quite as ignominious to allow oneself to be deceived as to deceive.

If your not honest with yourself, how the hell are you gonna be honest with me.

Now you say you have to absolutely truthful. Sincerity is the main thing, and truthfulness is the main thing and don't lie to anybody ... and you'll get ahead. Brother you sure will. You'll get ahead right on that cycle of action, right toward zero! It's a trap not being able to prevaricate ... This makes life more colorful!

Your thoughts should agree with your words, and the words should agree with your actions. In this world people think one thing, say another thing, and do something else. This is horrible. This is crookedness.

I believe in absolute honesty and sensible social lies.

One is what one is, and the dishonesty of hiding behind a degree, or a title, or any manner and collection of words, is still exactly that: dishonest.

The inability to lie is far from the love of truth.

By lying, we deny others a view of the world as it is. Our dishonesty not only influences the choices they make, it often determines the choices they can make—and in ways we cannot always predict. Every lie is a direct assault upon the autonomy of those we lie to.

Only the difference between truth and lies, courage and cowardice.

Live a lie, and you will live to regret it; that's what livin' is to me.

Why would anybody lie? The truth is always more colourful.

Your friend is intellectually honourable," Jimmy's mother would say. "He doesn't lie to himself.

If it is necessary sometimes to lie to others, it is always despicable to lie to oneself.

It is indeed a million times better to appear untrue before the world than to be untrue to ourselves.