Careless Quotes
Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.
"Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters."— Albert Einstein
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Meaning of this quote
Small dishonesties matter because they reveal how someone treats truth when the stakes seem low. The statement connects trustworthiness across situations rather than excusing dishonesty in apparently minor affairs.
Key takeaway:
Practise truthfulness consistently, including when a detail seems unimportant.
Origin of the quote
Einstein's unfinished German statement of April 1955, intended to address Arab–Israeli relations; archive reference 28-1098.
Who actually said this?
VerifiedQuote Investigator verifies the manuscript and gives several English translations. The uploaded wording is a close translation variant, not a surviving English sentence written by Einstein.
