“I speak the truth, not as much as I would, but as much as I dare.”
— Michel de Montaigne
Simplified Meaning:
Sometimes, it's hard to be completely honest because we might be afraid of the consequences. Think of a situation at work where you know something is wrong, like a mistake in a project. You might want to tell your boss everything, but you’re worried you could get in trouble or upset someone important. So, you choose to tell part of the truth—just enough to fix the mistake without causing too much trouble for yourself. This quote is about balancing honesty with caution. It’s about speaking up, but also being careful not to put yourself at risk. In your everyday life, you might use this idea when giving feedback to a friend. You can be honest about what you think, but you might choose your words carefully to avoid hurting their feelings too much.