Honesty Sayings and Quotes

While it may not always be comfortable, telling the truth is the best policy. There’s no need to remember a story or keep track of a lie if you’re honest from the beginning. Save yourself the headache with the collection of wise and insightful honesty quotes below.

A clear conscience is more valuable than wealth. Tagalog (Filipino) (on conscience)
A fair exchange is no robbery. Scottish Proverb
A friend's eye is a good mirror. Gaelic (on friendship)
A loan though old is not a gift. Hungarian (on indebtedness)
A man who never made a mistake, never made anything. unknown
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Benjamin Franklin
Avoid dishonest gain: no price can recompence the pangs of vice. Benjamin Franklin
Caesar's wife must be above suspicion. Julius Caesar
Dally not with other folk's spouses or money. Benjamin Franklin
Don't pretend to be something you aren't. Aesop
Don't take any wooden nickels. American (on authenticity)
Following the path of least resistence is what makes both men and rivers crooked. unknown
From the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks. Jesus Christ
Half the truth is often a whole lie. Benjamin Franklin
He that first cries out "stop thief" is often he that has stolen the treasure. William Congreve
He that steals an egg will steal an ox. George Herbert
Honesty is the best policy. Aesop
It is better to suffer for truth than to prosper by falsehood. Danish (on comparable worth)
Keep conscience clear, then never fear. Benjamin Franklin
Keep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee. George Chapman
Let's get things straight. unknown
Making money selling manure is better than losing money selling musk. Egyptian (on buying and selling)
No legacy is as rich as honesty. unknown
Pay what you owe and what you're worth you'll know. Benjamin Franklin
Possession is nine tenths of the law. unknown
The best thing about telling the truth is...you don't have to remember what you said! unknown
The contented person can never be ruined. Chinese (on conscience)
The sting of a reproach is the truth of it. Benjamin Franklin
When a thief kisses you, count your teeth. Yiddish
You can fool people some of the time, but you can't fool them all of the time. Aesop
No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar. Abraham Lincoln
If you have integrity nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity nothing else matters. Alan K. Simpson
Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either. Albert Einstein
An honest man's the noblest work of God. Alexander Pope
The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousand fold. Aristotle
One of the hardest things in this world is to admit you are wrong. And nothing is more helpful in resolving a situation than its frank admission. Benjamin Disraeli
Honesty is such a lonely word. Everyone is so untrue. Billy Joel
Honest hearts produce honest actions. Brigham Young
A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. Charles Spurgeon
Most of our faults are more pardonable than the means we use to conceal them. Francois de la Rochefoucauld
Be true to your work your word and your friend. Henry David Thoreau
He that loseth his honesty hath nothing else to lose. John Lyly
The true measure of life is not length, but honesty. John Lyly
Honesty is the rarest wealth anyone can possess. Josh Billings
Honesty pays, but it doesn't seem to pay enough to suit some people. Kin Hubbard
Truth, like gold is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold. Leo Tolstoy
To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest. Mahatma Gandhi
If it is not right do not do it if it is not true do not say it. Marcus Aurelius
Where is there dignity unless there is honesty? Marcus Tullius Cicero
If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. Mark Twain
Honesty is the best policy when there is money in it. Mark Twain
One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives. Mark Twain
Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist. Mary Kay Ash
Truth allows you to live with integrity. Everything you do and say shows the world who you really are. Let it be the Truth. Oprah Winfrey
Honesty does not always bring a response of love, but it is absolutely essential to it. Ray Blanton
What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist. Salman Rushdie
Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise. Sigmund Freud
Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud. Sophocles
Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. Thomas Jefferson
Science adjusts its views based on what's observed Faith is the denial of observation so that belief can be preserved. Tim Minchin
A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent. William Blake
No legacy is so rich as honesty. William Shakespeare
The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty character integrity faith love and loyalty. Zig Ziglar