We call those poets who are first to mark, Through earth's dull mist the coming of the dawn, Who see in twilight's gloom the first pale spark, While others only note that day is gone.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Lies serve as a fundamental tool that enables a variety of wrongdoings.
This quote suggests that while there are various means to commit sins or wrong acts, deception constitutes a universal instrument that can facilitate all of them. By emphasizing the role of lies as a handle, it implies that dishonesty is often the gateway to more significant moral failures, proving that the act of lying can lead to a broader spectrum of unethical behavior.
Themes
LieSinDeceptionTruthMorality
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about honesty, one could reference this quote to emphasize the dangers of deceit.
More from Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
All quotes βEvery real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
The very aim and end of our institutions is just this: that we may think what we like and say what we think.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Don't you stay at home of evenings? Don't you love a cushioned seat in a corner, by the fireside, with your slippers on your feet?
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by. Life is like that - one stitch at a time taken patiently and the pattern will come out all right like the embroidery.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Do not be bullied out of your common sense by the specialist; two to one, he is a pedant.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
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