“ The only difference that I know of between a silent lie and a spoken one is, that the silent lie is a less respectable one than the other. And it can deceive, whereas the other can’t—as a rule. ”
Mark Twain, Following the Equator (1897). copy citation
Author | Mark Twain |
---|---|
Source | Following the Equator |
Topic | difference lie |
Date | 1897 |
Language | English |
Reference | |
Note | |
Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2895/2895-h/2895-h.htm |
Context
“We are too good-natured a race; we hate to say the unpleasant thing; we shrink from speaking the unkind truth about a poor fellow whose bread depends upon our verdict; so we speak of his good points only, thus not scrupling to tell a lie—a silent lie—for in not mentioning his bad ones we as good as say he hasn’t any. The only difference that I know of between a silent lie and a spoken one is, that the silent lie is a less respectable one than the other. And it can deceive, whereas the other can’t—as a rule. We not only tell the silent lie as to a servant’s faults, but we sin in another way: we overpraise his merits; for when it comes to writing recommendations of servants we are a nation of gushers. And we have not the Frenchman’s excuse.”
source