Knavery may serve for a turn, but honesty is best in the long run.

Meaning: Dishonest shortcuts yield temporary gains but ultimately destroy trust and prosperity.

Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.

More proverbs about Morality

• When knaves fall out, true men come by their goods. — Dishonest people's conflicts create opportunities for honest people to acquire what was w…
• Fair and softly as lawyers go to heaven. — Lawyers proceed toward virtue so rarely and reluctantly that the journey becomes impossib…
• A liar should have a good memory. — Falsehoods require constant mental effort to maintain consistency, making deception exhau…
• The greater truth, the greater libel. — Truth's harshness wounds deeper when it exposes powerful lies or uncomfortable realities…
• Every one as they like best, as the good man said when he kissed his cow. — Absurd personal preferences deserve no justification—everyone pursues their own oddities…
• A little good is soon spent. — Small acts of virtue quickly disappear without sustained effort or intention behind them.

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