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Man has much power of discourse which for the most part is vain and false; animals have but little, but it is useful and true, and a small truth is better than a great lie.

— Leonardo da Vinci The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (1883)

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Truth

More quotes by Leonardo da Vinci

Things that are separate shall be united and acquire such virtue that they will restore to man his lost memory.

The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (1883)

Of the horse I will say nothing because I know the times.

The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (1883)

Science is the observation of things possible, whether present or past; prescience is the knowledge of things which may come to pass, though but slowly.

The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (1883)

Drawing is based upon perspective, which is nothing else than a thorough knowledge of the function of the eye.

The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (1883)

Animals will be seen on the earth who will always be fighting against each other with the greatest loss and frequent deaths on each side.

The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (1883)

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You have to start with the truth. The truth is the only way that we can get anywhere. Because any decision-making that is based upon lies or ignorance can't lead to a good conclusion.

Julian Assange

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.

Socrates

I believe in evil. It is the property of all those who are certain of truth. Despair and fanaticism are only differing manifestations of evil.

Edward Teller

Wars produce many stories of fiction, some of which are told until they are believed to be true.

Ulysses S. Grant Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant (1885)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Leonardo da Vinci (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.