Give me hunger, pain and want, Shut me out with shame and failure From your doors of gold and fame, Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger! But leave me a little love.
Carl SandburgRead
A liar goes in fine clothes, a liar goes in rags, a liar is a liar, clothes or no clothes.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote illustrates that a person's truthfulness or deceitfulness is not defined by their external appearance.
Carl Sandburg's quote emphasizes the idea that honesty and integrity are intrinsic qualities that cannot be masked by clothing or appearance. Regardless of whether a liar is dressed in elaborate attire or humble rags, the essence of their character remains unchanged; they are defined by their truthfulness or lack thereof. This serves as a reminder that we should look beyond superficial appearances to judge a person's character.
Themes
LiarTruthAppearanceIntegrityCharacter
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about honesty in relationships, you might say, 'Remember, a liar goes in fine clothes, a liar goes in rags, a liar is a liar, clothes or no clothes.'
More from Carl Sandburg
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Read the dictionary from A to Izzard today. Get a vocabulary. Brush up on your diction. See whether wisdom is just a lot of language.
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My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.
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There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.
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A book is never a masterpiece: it becomes one. Genius is the talent of a dead man.
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