Even if that's just bullshit, sir, it's first-rate bullshit. I'll pass it on.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Acknowledges the power of effective communication even when the content is fabricated. It prioritizes impact over truth in certain contexts.
- In plain terms
- Even if it's fake, it's convincing enough to use.
- What can you take from it?
- Impact can matter more than truth in communication.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is a convincing lie better than a weak truth?
- When does impact justify fabrication?
Another view
Prioritizing impact over truth risks long-term credibility.
More from Orson Scott Card
All those months when bean refused to see Ender, hid from him, it was because he couldn't bear to face the fact that Ender was what bean only wished to be - th…
Permalink to quote #273 There were times for absolute honesty between friends, but this wasn't one of them.
Permalink to quote #275 Ender Wiggin was not larger than life, Bean knew. He was exactly life-sized, and so his larger-than-life burden was too much for him. And yet he was bearing it…
Permalink to quote #272
Related quotes
I would rather the man who presents something for my consideration subject me to a zephyr of truth and a gentle breeze of responsibility rather than blow me do…
Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland quote #25 To convince someone of the truth, it is not enough to state it, but rather one must find the path from error to truth. (p. 119)
Ludwig WittgensteinLudwig Wittgenstein quote #92 Truth will do well enough if left to shift for herself ... She has no need of force to procure entrance into the minds of men.
Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson quote #200