"Lying has a kind of respect and reverence with it. We pay a person the compliment of acknowledging his superiority whenever we lie to him"
- Samuel Butler
About this Quote
This quote by Samuel Butler recommends that lying can be viewed as a sign of regard. By lying to someone, we are acknowledging their superiority and revealing them that we value their opinion. This might be viewed as a type of flattery, as we are indicating that they are so essential that we feel the requirement to lie to them. It might also be viewed as a method of securing someone from the truth, as we might not want to injure their feelings or trigger them distress. Eventually, this quote suggests that lying can be viewed as a sign of regard, as we are revealing that we value the individual enough to lie to them.
"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time"
