"Society can exist only on the basis that there is some amount of polished lying and that no one says exactly what he thinks"

This quote by Lin Yutang suggests that in order for society to operate, people need to want to engage in a specific amount of deception. This deception can take the kind of courteous lies, or merely not saying what one really thinks. This is because in order to maintain a functioning society, people need to have the ability to agree each other and not constantly be entirely truthful. This is specifically real in situations where the reality might be upsetting or damaging to another person. In order to preserve a sense of consistency and peace, it is often required to withhold the reality or to tell a respectful lie. This quote by Lin Yutang suggests that in order for society to exist, individuals must want to engage in a certain amount of deceptiveness.