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About this quote

What does it mean?
Reliable memory is essential for avoiding falsehoods.
In plain terms
You should not lie if you cannot remember the truth.
What can you take from it?
Truthfulness requires accurate recall of events.

Where it applies

  • legal testimony
  • historical accounts
  • personal storytelling

Putting it to work

  • verify facts before speaking
  • improve memory retention

Questions to consider

  • Can you distinguish between forgetting and lying?
  • Why is memory crucial for honesty?

Another view

People often forget details unintentionally rather than lying.

More from Michel de Montaigne

  1. He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.

    Permalink to quote #74
  2. How many things we held yesterday as articles of faith which today we tell as fables.

    Permalink to quote #76
  3. He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak.

    Permalink to quote #73

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  3. The passion for seeking the truth for truth's sake...can be kept alive only if we continue to seek the truth for truth's sake.

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