Salomon saith, There is no new thing upon the earth. So that as Plato had an imagination, that all knowledge was but remembrance; so Salomon giveth his sentence, that all novelty is but oblivion.
Francis BaconRead
Truth is a naked and open daylight, that does not show the masques, and mummeries, and triumphs of the world, half so stately and daintily as candle-lights. . . A mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure
Interpretation
What this quote means
Truth reveals reality clearly, while falsehoods can make life seem more pleasing.
This quote by Francis Bacon emphasizes the nature of truth as transparent and illuminating, contrasting it with the deceptive comforts that lies can provide. While truth presents the world unadorned and stark, the embellishments of falsehood can create a facade that appears more appealing, suggesting that while lies may provide immediate satisfaction, they ultimately obscure the authentic experience of life.
Themes
TruthLiesRealityDeceptionWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about integrity, one might say, 'As Francis Bacon wisely noted, truth is an open daylight.'
More from Francis Bacon
All quotes →Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.
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Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion.
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Great art is always a way of concentrating, reinventing what is called fact, what we know of our existence- a reconcentration… tearing away the veils, the attitudes people acquire of their time and earlier time. Really good artists tear down those veils
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Wise men make more opportunities than they find.
Francis BaconRead
Knowledge and human power are synonymous.
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