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About this quote

What does it mean?
Kafka argues lying less comes from choosing not to lie, not just avoiding chances.
In plain terms
Tell few lies by choosing not to, not just by avoiding situations.
What can you take from it?
Honesty is a choice, not just circumstance.

Where it applies

  • ethical decisions
  • personal conduct
  • leadership

Putting it to work

  • choose honesty
  • practice truth
  • avoid excuses

Questions to consider

  • How do you avoid lies?
  • Is honesty a habit?

Another view

It ignores cases where lying is necessary for safety.

More from Franz Kafka

  1. There are questions we could not get past if we were not set free from them by our very nature.

    Permalink to quote #33
  2. The fact that there is nothing but a spiritual world deprives us of hope and gives us certainty.

    Permalink to quote #35
  3. There is nothing besides a spiritual world; what we call the world of the senses is the Evil in the spiritual world, and what we call Evil is only the necessit…

    Permalink to quote #32

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