The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
I do know that the slickest way to lie is to tell the right amount of truth--then shut up.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The most effective way to deceive is by mixing truth with silence.
This quote suggests that the most cunning form of lying involves providing truthful information strategically while withholding certain essential parts of the story. By revealing just enough truth and maintaining silence on key elements, one can manipulate perceptions and create a false narrative that is convincing yet dishonest.
Themes
TruthLieDeceptionSilenceWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about ethics, this quote could highlight the dangers of presenting misleading information.
More from Robert A. Heinlein
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Democracy is a poor system of government at best; the only thing that can honestly be said in its favor is that it is eight times as good as any other method the human race has ever tried.
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Long human words (the longer the better) were easy, unmistakable, and rarely changed their meanings . . . but short words were slippery, unpredictable, changing their meanings without any pattern.
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Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.
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When a place gets crowded enough to require ID's, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere.
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Give me a fruitful error anytime, full of seeds, bursting with its own corrections.
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We gain the strength of the temptation we resist.
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