The truth isn’t always easy to say, but telling the truth is essential, even when it’s hard. People tend to think that lying or hiding the truth is easier, but that isn’t entirely true. Many times, sticking to a lie is harder than telling the truth would have been.

Even knowing that the truth is important, it is still tempting to take the easy route and fib a little. Rising above that temptation shows your inner courage and strength while showing that you are an honest person. Plus, if you don’t tell lies, you don’t have to try and remember what you said later.

When you think that telling a lie is the easiest route, change your mindset. Telling lies gets you caught up in a confusing mess with no possible solution. Telling the truth, though, will allow you to find an answer that improves the situation one way or another.

Twenty Quotes About Telling the Truth, Even When It’s Hard

These quotes about telling the truth even when it’s hard will help you make the right choice. Telling the truth is always the better option, as these quotes will explain.

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1. “Stop holding your truth; speak your truth. Be yourself. It’s the healthiest way to be.” – Tiffany Haddish

If you are holding back the truth because you’re afraid to speak up, stop doing that. Be true to yourself and speak what is on your mind.

Tell people the truth even when they don’t want to hear it. Telling the truth is the healthiest way to live, as Haddish explains.

2. “Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.” – Isaac Newton

Telling the truth allows you to simplify things. Lies only complicate situations and cause confusion, which doesn’t help anyone involved. Be honest, and you won’t have to worry about the bigger issues that accompany lying.

3. “To tell the truth is a beautiful act even if the truth itself is ugly.” – Glen Duncan

No matter what the truth is, telling it is more beautiful than lying. When the truth is out in the open, you can find solutions and make decisions based on the facts. Doing this is beneficial to you and the person hearing it, even if it is hard at first.

4. “You can hate me. You can go out there and say anything you want about me, but you will love me later because I told you the truth.” – Mary J. Blige

When you tell the truth, the other person might dislike you for a while. Things could even become more complicated, which is one of the reasons telling the truth is hard. However, later on, that person will appreciate you for being honest.

When you lie, you drag things out, get caught up in more lies, and continually disrespect the other person. If they find out that you have been lying, they will be even more upset than if they had heard it from you.

5. “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” – Albert Einstein

If you get caught in a lie, it will discredit you for a long time to come. The person you lied to won’t believe you about the important things if you lie about anything at all. So, avoid this situation by always being honest, even when it’s hard.

6. “Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth.” – William Faulkner

While telling the truth is sometimes hard, it is better than the alternative option. Don’t be afraid to speak up and voice your honest opinion. As Faulkner explains, if everyone were honest, the world would be a much better place.

7. “Truth only means something when it’s hard to admit.” – Nicholas Sparks

If the truth were easy to tell, everyone would do it. The harder it is to say out loud, the more meaningful it is.

Remember this quote the next time you need to speak up and tell the truth. It will remind you that it is only hard because it means so much.

8. “The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.” – John F. Kennedy

While deliberate dishonesty is bad enough, it isn’t the worst part about telling a lie. Creating a false narrative in someone’s mind and giving them empty promises and hope is even worse.

The next time you consider lying to someone, remember what you will be doing to them. No matter who it is, the other person deserves to know the truth, no matter how hard it might be.

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9. “The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.” – Lao Tzu

Saying what someone wants to hear might sound beautiful, but the words aren’t the truth. Likewise, the truth might not always be beautiful, but at least it’s honest. Choose honesty and integrity over speaking beautiful but dishonest words.

 10. “Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” – W. Clement Stone

The truth and doing what is right should always take precedent over telling a lie or hiding from the truth. Honesty shows courage and integrity, so make sure you follow the right path.

11. “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” – Arthur Conan Doyle

You can’t build anything based on lies, so if you are working toward something good, make sure there is honesty along the way. Overcoming obstacles and navigating setbacks only get you so far if the truth isn’t there in the end. Tell the truth from the start, and you can trust that you are building on a solid foundation.

12. “For every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason, to tell the truth.” – Bo Bennett

You might try to justify telling a lie or hiding the truth, and you will likely come up with some good reasons. If you find yourself looking for justification, think of the benefits of honesty instead. Thinking this way can help you recognize the benefits of telling the truth, even when it is tempting to lie.

13. “There is nothing so strong or safe in an emergency of life as the simple truth.” – Charles Dickens

When things get hard, the truth can offer strength and safety. Fully knowing what is going on can bring peace in a way that correlates with moving forward. When the truth is hidden, there will always be a sense of worry and weakness in the relationship.

14. “Honest communication is built on truth and integrity and upon respect of the one for the other.” – Benjamin E. Mays

Without truth and integrity, there can be no honest communication. Plus, dishonesty is a sign of disrespect for the other person. You wouldn’t want them treating you that way, so you should offer the same consideration.

Rather than stoop to this level, choose honesty instead. If you are honest right from the start, it will make the rest easier.

15. “Always tell the truth. That way, you don’t have to remember what you said.” – Mark Twain

When you tell lies, it is easy to forget what you said. Plus, you sometimes have to build on those lies or tell new lies to cover up the truth. The entire process is tricky and confusing, so it is best to avoid it.

When you tell the truth, though, you don’t have to worry about forgetting what you said. Since you were honest, you can recall the event from memory and avoid being caught in a lie. Telling the truth saves you stress while simplifying your communication, as well.

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Final Thoughts on Quotes About Telling the Truth, Even When It’s Hard

Telling the truth isn’t always easy, but it is better than the alternative. By being honest from the start, you can find a realistic solution that will work and isn’t based on lies. Plus, there are always more reasons to be honest, anyway, so it truly does work out for the best that way.

Keep in mind that you also won’t have a confusing mess of lies to remember and keep straight. When you tell the truth, you only have one story that you must follow. Plus, you won’t have to build more stories based on the things you made up.

If you choose to tell the truth, everything will work out how it was supposed to. It might be hard to say words that you know the other person doesn’t want to hear, but it is better than deceiving them. Remember these quotes about telling the truth the next time you are in this situation.