“Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it.” --Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) From “The Examiner,” 1710 #writerslift #life #authors #love #art #coffee #diary #write #books #amwriting #quotes #JonathanSwift The saying captures how quickly falsehood spreads compared with truth. Lies are often simpler, more dramatic, and easier to repeat, so they move fast through conversation, rumor, and media. Truth usually takes longer because it must be checked, explained, and supported. That imbalance gives deception a head start, which is why even absurd claims can race through the world before facts have a chance to catch up. At a deeper level, the quote is not just about dishonesty but about human nature. People are often drawn to stories that flatter their fears, biases, or excitement, while truth can be slower, less glamorous, and more inconvenient. The line endures because it describes a frustrating reality that keeps repeating across generations: falsehood has speed, but truth has the harder job of proving itself. The above quote is commonly misattributed to Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, and others as: “A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” Variants with “shoes,” “boots,” or “halfway around the world” appeared much later, including newspaper and memoir versions in the 20th century.
“Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it.”
--Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
From “The Examiner,” 1710
#writerslift #life #authors #love #art #coffee #diary #write #books #amwriting #quotes #JonathanSwift
