Honesty is the best policy
â
Honesty is the best policy
when there is money in it.
â
Meaning
This quote is cynical humor suggesting honesty becomes attractive when it is profitable. Principle is often mixed with advantage.
About Author
Mark Twain
Mark Twain, born Samuel Clemens, was an American author and humorist known for classics like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His quotes often reflect wit, social critique, and human insight. Twain inspires writers, readers, and social thinkers to explore human nature, challenge conventions, and communicate ideas with humor and intelligence.
Related Quotes
â To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble. â
This quote jokes that teaching goodness is socially rewarded because it costs less than actually practicing it. Moral instruction is easier than moral living.
â It is by the goodness of God that in our country , we have those three unspeakably precious things, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them. â
This quote uses irony to suggest that freedom exists partly because people wisely avoid using it too fully. It is satire about liberty and restraint.
â The Christian's Bible is a drug store. Its contents remain the same, but the medical practice changes. â
This quote means sacred texts stay the same while human interpretation and use of them constantly change. The medicine varies though the store remains stocked.