الخداعُ والكذبُ، مهما وعدا أو أنتجا من مكاسب مؤقتة، هما في مجموع الحياة عقبةٌ أمام السعادة. فمن يربح من الغشّ يرتاب في الغشّاش، والفعلُ الذي طُلب به الودّ يُنهي الثقة.

“Deceit and falsehood, whatever conveniences they may for a time promise or produce, are, in the sum of life, obstacles to happiness. Those who profit by the cheat distrust the deceiver; and the act by which kindness was sought puts an end to confidence.”Samuel Johnson — The beauties of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.: consisting of maxims and observations, moral, critical, and miscellaneous: to which are now added biographical anecdotes of the doctor, selected from the works of Mrs. Piozzi;--his Life, recently published by Mr. Boswell, and other authentic testimonies; also his will, and the sermon he wrote for the late Doctor Dodd (1804)