November 20, 2025

Something unpleasant is coming when men are anxious to tell the truth.

Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881), British prime minister and novelist, The Cynic’s Lexicon, Jonathon Green, ed. (London: 1986), p.66

When were you last anxious to tell the truth?

Not a good place for a politician to be, as most people really don’t want to hear it, as the truth is too often unpleasant. The alternative interpretation is that in telling the truth, one is usually confessing to a lesser crime: “I couldn’t have robbed that bank; I was across town shoplifting!”