"The trite saying that honesty is the best policy has met with the just criticism that honesty is not policy. The real honest man is honest from conviction of what is right, not from policy"

This quote by Robert E. Lee suggests that honesty must not be a policy, however rather a conviction. He is slamming the concept that sincerity is the very best policy, as he believes that it ought to be an internal conviction instead of an external policy. He believes that true sincerity comes from a person's internal conviction of what is right, rather than from a policy that is troubled them. He is recommending that people must be truthful because it is the best thing to do, not since it is a policy. He is emphasizing the significance of being truthful out of a sense of morality, instead of out of a sense of obligation. He is suggesting that people ought to be truthful due to the fact that it is the ideal thing to do, not since it is a policy. He is emphasizing the importance of being sincere out of a sense of morality, instead of out of a sense of responsibility.