All men profess honesty as long as they can. To believe all men honest would be folly. To believe none so is something worse.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- While most people claim to be honest when it benefits them, trusting everyone is naive and trusting no one is even worse.
- In plain terms
- People claim honesty when convenient, but you should not trust everyone or no one.
- What can you take from it?
- Balance skepticism with openness when judging others' honesty.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you verify someone is honesty?
- When is trust dangerous?
Another view
Some people may genuinely value honesty even when it costs them.
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