Quotes About Honesty

Straight, not straightened.

21. If anyone can refute me—show me I'm making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective—I'll gladly change. It's the truth I'm after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.

Let it not be in any man's power, to say truly of thee, that thou art not truly simple, or sincere and open, or not good. Let him be deceived whosoever he be that shall have any such opinion of thee. For all this doth depend of thee. For who is it that should hinder thee from being either truly simple or good? Do thou only resolve rather not to live, than not to be such.

If any man is able to convince me and show me that I do not think or act rightly, I will gladly change; for I seek the truth

Speak what you really think, not what you think people want to hear.

fix thy mind upon the thing itself; look into it, and remembering thyself, that thou art bound nevertheless to be a good man, and what it is that thy nature requireth of thee as thou art a man, be not diverted from what thou art about, and speak that which seemeth unto thee most just: only speak it kindly, modestly, and without hypocrisy.

Conviene, por consiguiente, mantenerse recto, no enderezado.

From Alexander the Platonic, not frequently nor without necessity to say to any one, or to write in a letter, that I have no leisure; nor continually to excuse the neglect of duties required by our relation to those with whom we live, by alleging urgent occupations.

Let no one have the chance to accuse you, with any truth, of not being sincere or a good man. Make sure that anyone taking that view of you is a liar. This is wholly up to you -- who is there to prevent you being good and sincere?

I observed that everybody believed that he thought as he spoke, and that in all that he did he never had any bad intention; and he never showed amazement and surprise, and was never in a hurry, and never put off doing a thing, nor was perplexed nor dejected, nor did he ever laugh to disguise his vexation, nor, on the other hand, was he ever passionate or suspicious.

Practice the virtues you can show: honesty, gravity, endurance, austerity, resignation, abstinence, patience, sincerity, moderation, seriousness, high-mindedness. Don't you see how much you have to offer—beyond excuses like "can't"?

To righteousness, in speaking the truth freely, and without ambiguity; and in doing all things justly and discreetly.

If anyone can give me good reason to think that I am going astray in my thoughts or my actions, I will gladly change my ways. For I seek the truth, which has never caused harm to anyone; no, the person who is harmed is one who persists in his self-deception and ignorance. 22

A straightforward, honest person should be like someone who stinks: when you're in the same room with him, you know it. But false straightforwardness is like a knife in the back.

no ser tramposo, tener nobleza, aguantar los trabajos, despreciar los placeres, no quejarse de tu destino, necesitar poco, la buena disposición, la liberalidad, la sencillez, no ser charlatán, la grandeza. ¿

It's quite possible to be a good man without anyone realizing it. Remember that.

Be content to seem what you really are.

when things lay claim to our trust—to lay them bare and see how pointless they are, to strip away the legend that encrusts them.

Con la afectación del léxico no trates de decorar tu pensamiento.

Affect not to set out your thoughts with curious neat language. Be neither a great talker, nor a great undertaker; be one who for his word or actions needs neither an oath, nor any man to be a witness.

51. Take the shortest route, the one that nature planned—to speak and act in the healthiest way. Do that, and be free of pain and stress, free of all calculation and pretension.

Let no one have the chance to accuse you, with any truth, of not being sincere or a good man: make sure that anyone taking this view of you is a liar. This is wholly up to you- who is there to prevent you being good and sincere? You must just decide to live no longer if you won't have these qualities. And reason too abandons the man who won't. p102

A man should be upright, not be kept upright.

Qui una sola cosa ha valore: trascorrere tutta la vita nella verità e nella giustizia pur trattando con indulgenza i bugiardi e gli ingiusti.