Leo Tolstoy
Circle of Reading
Translated by Dmitry Fadeyev

May 15

Truthfulness is not a virtue, but it indicates the absence of vice.

1

Truth was never harmed by mockery, but the growth of truth halts in the mocker.

— Lucy Mallory

2

The most common and widespread cause of falsehood is not the desire to deceive others, but the desire to deceive yourself. And such deceptions do the most harm.

3

A thousand paths lead to error, but only one to the truth.

— Rousseau

4

There is no greater misfortune than when a person begins to fear the truth because it would expose him.

5

People should only follow the truth that is self-evident.

— Confucius

6

It is impossible to assert a falsehood without inventing another falsehood to support it.

— Lessing

7

It seems that it is so easy to speak the truth, and yet how much inner work is required to achieve this.

The degree of a person’s truthfulness is an indicator of his moral perfection.

8

Truthfulness is the only universally accepted currency.

— Chinese wisdom

9

Let us be truthful. This is the secret of eloquence and virtue, this is what exerts moral influence, this is the highest rule of art and life.

— Amiel


It is a very common mistake to think that there are certain issues that permit us to diverge from the truth. The consequences, both internal and external, of even the smallest lie are many times more harmful than the awkwardness and unpleasantness which speaking the truth may cause.