The Truth Quotes

“The young man is also an idealist. He has yet to find out that what’s in the public interest is not what the public is interested in.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“In short, what people think they want is news, but what they really crave is olds.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“We’ve always been privileged, you see. Privilege just means ‘private law.’ That’s exactly what it means.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“Be careful. People like to be told what they already know. Remember that. They get uncomfortable when you tell them new things. New things…well, new things aren’t what they expect. They like to know that, say, a dog will bite a man. That is what dogs do. They don’t want to know that a man bites a dog, because the world is not supposed to happen like that. In short, what people think they want is news, but what they really crave is olds. I can see you’ve got the hang of it already.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“what was once considered impossible is now quite easily achieved. Kings and lords come and go and leave nothing but statues in a desert, while a couple of young men tinkering in a workshop change the way the world works.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“William wondered why he always disliked people who said “no offense meant.” Maybe it was because they found it easier to say “no offense meant” than actually to refrain from giving offense.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“My motives, as ever, are entirely transparent.’ Hughnon reflected that ‘entirely transparent’ meant either that you could see right through them or that you couldn’t see them at all.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“you cannot apply brakes to a volcano. Sometimes it is best to let these things run their course. They generally die down again after a while.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“The press waited. It looked now like a great big beast. Soon he’d throw a lot of words into it. And in a few hours it would be hungry again, as if those words had never happened. You could feed it, but you could never fill it up.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“You are concerned citizens.” He knew about concerned citizens. Wherever they were, they all spoke the same private language, where “traditional values” meant “hang someone.” He did not have a problem with this, broadly speaking, but it never hurt to understand your employer.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“No law says you have to like dwarfs and trolls,' said Goodmountain.
'Yes, but there ought to be a law against disliking them the way he does.'
'Ah. Now you've drawn me a picture.'
'Maybe you've heard the term "lesser races"?'
'And now you've coloured it in.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“As for Mr. Pin and Mr. Tulip, all that need be known about them at this point is that they are the kind of people who call you “friend.” People like that aren’t friendly.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“I like Villiam. He was not brought up nice but he tries to be a nice person, vithout even cocoa and a sing song to help him. It is hard to go against your nature.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“I’m saying, sir, that a lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who, when presented with a glass that is exactly half full, say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What’s up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don’t think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass! Who’s been pinching my beer? And at the other end of the bar the world is full of the other type of person, who has a broken glass, or a glass that has been carelessly knocked over (usually by one of the people calling for a larger glass), or who had no glass at all, because he was at the back”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“Because nothing has to be true for ever. Just for long enough, to tell you the truth.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“The truth has got its boots on,” he said. “It’s going to start kicking.” His eyes narrowed. “I told you to take your hand off that sword!”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“So... we have what the people are interested in, and human interest stories, which is what humans are interested in, and the public interest, which no one is interested in.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“William wondered why he always disliked people who said ‘no offence meant’. Maybe it was because they found it easier to say ‘no offence meant’ than actually refrain from giving offence.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“Ankh-Morpork people considered that spelling was a sort of optional extra. They believed in it in the same way they believed in punctuation; it didn’t matter where you put it so long as it was there.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“Well, I hear things,” she began. “And…well, writing things down? I suppose that’s a suitable job for a lady, isn’t it? It’s practically cultural.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“The nature of truth always bothered William. He had been brought up to tell it or, more correctly, to “own up” and some habits are hard to break if they’ve been beaten in hard enough.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“The worst part, the worst part, was that Lord de Worde was never wrong. It was not a position he understood in relation to his personal geography. People who took an opposing view were insane, or dangerous, or possibly even not really people. You couldn’t have an argument with Lord de Worde. Not a proper argument. An argument, from arguer, meant to debate and discuss and persuade by reason. What you could have with William’s father was a flaming row.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“Bioalchemic Products specifically does not warrant, guarantee, imply or make any representations as to its merchantability for any particular purpose and furthermore shall have no liability for or responsibility to you or any other person, entity or deity with respect of any loss or damage whatsoever caused by this device or object or by any attempts to destroy it by hammering it against a wall or dropping it into a deep well or any other means whatsoever and moreover asserts that you indicate your acceptance of this agreement or any other agreement that may be substituted at any time by coming within five miles of the product or observing it through large telescopes or by any other means because you are such an easily cowed moron who will happily accept arrogant and unilateral conditions on a piece of highly priced garbage that you would not dream of accepting on a bag of dog biscuits and is used solely at your own risk.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“Do you know what they called a sausage-in-a-bun in Quirm?’ said Mr Pin, as the two walked away. ‘No?’ said Mr Tulip. ‘They called it le sausage-in-le-bun.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who, when presented with a glass that is exactly half full, say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What’s up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don’t think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass! Who’s been pinching my beer? And at the other end of the bar the world is full of the other type of person, who has a broken glass, or a glass that has been carelessly knocked over (usually by one of the people calling for a larger glass), or who had no glass at all, because he was at the back of the crowd and had failed to catch the barman’s eye.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“If my father is involved in anything, he’ll be the leader,” said William flatly. “If you don’t know that, you don’t know the de Wordes. We don’t join any team if we can’t be captain.” “But it’d be a bit silly, wouldn’t it, to let them use your own house—” “No, just very, very arrogant,” said William. “We’ve always been privileged, you see. Privilege just means ‘private law.’ That’s exactly what it means. He just doesn’t believe the ordinary laws apply to him. He really believes they can’t touch him, and that if they do he can just shout until they go away. That’s the de Worde tradition, and we’re good at it. Shout at people, get your own way, ignore the rules. It’s the de Worde way. Up until me, obviously.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“Really true? Who knows? This is a news paper, isn't it? It just has to be true until tomorrow.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“People who took an opposing view were insane, or dangerous, or possibly not even people at all.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth

“Vimes said, “I don’t trust you, Mr de Worde. And I’ve just realized why. It’s not just that you’re going to cause trouble. Dealing with trouble is my job, it’s what I’m paid for, that’s why they give me an armour allowance. But who are you responsible to? I have to answer for what I do, although right now I’m damned if I know who to. But you? It seems to me you can do what the hell you like”
“I suppose I’m answerable to the truth, sir.”
“Oh, really? How, exactly?”
“Sorry?”
“If you tell lies, does the truth come and smack you in the face? I’m impressed. Ordinary everyday people like me are responsible to other people. Even Vetinari always had—has an eye on the Guilds. But you … you are answerable to the truth. Amazing. What’s its address? Does it read the paper?”
“She, sir,” said Sergeant Angua. “There’s a goddess of truth, I believe.”
“Can’t have many followers, then,” said Vimes. “Except our friend here.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Truth