"A good portion of speaking will consist in knowing how to lie"

Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch philosopher and theologian who lived in the 16th century. His quote "A good portion of speaking will consist in understanding how to lie" recommends that in order to be an effective speaker, one must have the ability to inform lies. This does not suggest that one should lie, however rather that a person need to have the ability to acknowledge when a lie is being informed and have the ability to respond to it in a way that is helpful to the speaker. Erasmus was most likely describing the truth that in order to succeed in any kind of communication, one need to have the ability to recognize when someone is attempting to deceive them and have the ability to react in such a way that is helpful to the speaker. This could mean reacting with a counterargument or just ignoring the lie altogether. Erasmus was most likely suggesting that in order to be an effective speaker, one must be able to recognize when someone is trying to deceive them and have the ability to respond in a manner that is useful to the speaker.