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The tongue can conceal the truth, but the eyes never! You're asked an unexpected question, you don't even flinch, it takes just a second to get yourself under control, you know just what you have to say to hide the truth, and you speak very convincingly, and nothing in your face twitches to give you away. But the truth, alas, has been disturbed by the question, and it rises up from the depths of your soul to flicker in your eyes and all is lost.
Mikhail Bulgakov
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote suggests that while one can verbally disguise the truth, true emotions and truths are often revealed through the eyes.

Mikhail Bulgakov highlights the inherent tension between spoken deception and the unspoken truth that can be seen in one's eyes. No matter how convincingly one can articulate a lie or conceal the truth through words, the eyes can betray a person's true feelings and intentions due to the deep emotional connection they hold. This quote illustrates the struggle between the desire to maintain a facade and the involuntary nature of genuine emotional expression.

Themes

TruthEyesDeceptionHonestyEmotion

In practice

Example use cases

During a public speaking event where the topic of honesty is being discussed.

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