I did not deceive you, mon ami. At most, I permitted you to deceive yourself.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker clarifies that they did not actively lie, but allowed the other person to form a false belief on their own.
- In plain terms
- I didn't lie to you; I just let you believe something that wasn't true.
- What can you take from it?
- Allowing someone to misunderstand can be as misleading as telling a direct lie.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is permitting self-deception more honest than lying?
- When does silence become complicity?
Another view
It blurs the line between active lying and passive allowance.
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