Honesty is the best policy

Posted by ESC on September 24, 2007

In Reply to: Honesty is the best policy posted by Sri Lakshmi Divya on September 23, 2007

: Please give me the meaning and brief explanation with an example about the quotation 'honesty is the best policy'.

"Honesty is the best policy" is a maxim, a general principle drawn from practical experience and serving as a rule of conduct. It means, "There are so many pitfalls inherent in deception this it's easier in the long run to tell the truth. This maxim has been traced back to 'European Speculum' by E. Sandys. It appears in Cervantes' 'Don Quixote' (1605-15)..." From Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996). Page 139.

It is best to just tell the truth. That will cause you less trouble than lying.

• Honesty is the best policy Smokey Stover 08/October/07