The truth is rarely pure and never simple
Meaning: Reality is complex and nuanced; anyone claiming simple certainty should be viewed with skepticism.
Origin: From Oscar Wilde's comedy The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). When Jack claims to be telling "the truth pure and simple," Algernon corrects him: "The truth is rarely pure and never simple." Wilde turned a stock phrase inside out, as he did throughout the play.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: La vérité est rarement pure et jamais simple (literally: The truth is rarely pure and never simple)
- Spanish: La verdad raramente es pura y nunca es simple (literally: The truth is rarely pure and never simple)
- Japanese: 真実はほとんど純粋でなく、決して単純ではない (Shinjitsu wa hotondo junsui de naku, kesshite tanjun de wa nai) (literally: The truth is rarely pure and never simple)
- German: Die Wahrheit ist selten rein und niemals einfach (literally: The truth is seldom pure and never simple)
More proverbs about Morality
- Character is what you do when no one is watching — True virtue is shown not in public performances but in private actions when there are no…
- The shortest answer is doing the thing itself — Action is more effective than deliberation; the most direct response to a challenge is to…
- Don't get above your raising — Humble origins should temper ambition; remember where you came from and maintain modest v…
- Trust your friends, but cut the cards — Verify even trusted relationships through precautions; friendship doesn't eliminate the n…
- You attract more flies with honey than vinegar — Kindness and pleasantness persuade people more effectively than hostility or harshness.
- Good ale is meat, drink, and cloth. — A hearty drink can seem to nourish, refresh, and warm you all at once.
From our tongue twisters
- 네가 그린 기린 그림은 못 그린 기린 그림이고 내가 그린 기린 그림은 잘 그린 기린 그림이다. (Nega geurin girin geurimeun mot geurin girin geurimigo, naega geurin girin geurimeun jal geurin girin geurimida.) — geurin, girin and geurim rotate through nearly the same syllables with only the vowel mov…
- 앞 집 팥죽은 붉은 팥 풋팥죽이고, 뒷집 콩죽은 햇콩 단콩 콩죽이다. (Ap jip patjugeun bulgeun pat put-patjugigo, dwitjip kongjugeun haetkong dankong kongjugida.) — Stacks Korean's aspirated p and k against the final consonants, so every word ends where…
- 저 분은 백 법학박사이고 이 분은 박 법학박사이다. (Jeo buneun Baek beopakbaksa igo, i buneun Bak beopakbaksa ida.) — Baek and Bak are a single vowel apart, and 법학박사 piles four stop consonants into one title.