Itisalwaysmortifyingnottobebelieved，anditisdoublysowhenwesuspectthatitisbecausewearesupposedtobeunworthyofbeliefandcapableofseriouslyandwilfullydeceiving。Totellamanthathelies，isofallaffrontsthemostmortal。Butwhoeverseriouslyandwilfullydeceivesisnecessarilyconscioustohimselfthathemeritsthisaffront，thathedoesnotdeservetobebelieved，andthatheforfeitsalltitletothatsortofcreditfromwhichalonehecanderiveanysortofease，comfort，orsatisfactioninthesocietyofhisequals。Themanwhohadthemisfortunetoimaginethatnobodybelievedasinglewordhesaid，wouldfeelhimselftheoutcastofhumansociety，woulddreadtheverythoughtofgoingintoit，orofpresentinghimselfbeforeit，andcouldscarcefail，Ithink，todieofdespair。Itisprobable，however，thatnomaneverhadjustreasontoentertainthishumiliatingopinionofhimself。Themostnotoriousliar，Iamdisposedtobelieve，tellsthefairtruthatleasttwentytimesforoncethatheseriouslyanddeliberatelylies；and，asinthemostcautiousthedispositiontobelieveisapttoprevailoverthattodoubtanddistrust；sointhosewhoarethemostregardlessoftruth，thenaturaldispositiontotellitprevailsuponmostoccasionsoverthattodeceive，orinanyrespecttoalterordisguiseit。
Wearemortifiedwhenwehappentodeceiveotherpeople，thoughunintentionally，andfromhavingbeenourselvesdeceived。
Thoughthisinvoluntaryfalsehoodmayfrequentlybenomarkofanywantofveracity，ofanywantofthemostperfectloveoftruth，itisalwaysinsomedegreeamarkofwantofjudgment，ofwantofmemory，ofimpropercredulity，ofsomedegreeofprecipitancyandrashness。Italwaysdiminishesourauthoritytopersuade，andalwaysbringssomedegreeofsuspicionuponourfitnesstoleadanddirect。Themanwhosometimesmisleadsfrommistake，however，iswidelydifferentfromhimwhoiscapableofwilfullydeceiving。Theformermaysafelybetrusteduponmanyoccasions；thelatterveryseldomuponany。
Franknessandopennessconciliateconfidence。Wetrustthemanwhoseemswillingtotrustus。Weseeclearly，wethink，theroadbywhichhemeanstoconductus，andweabandonourselveswithpleasuretohisguidanceanddirection。Reserveandconcealment，onthecontrary，callforthdiffidence。Weareafraidtofollowthemanwhoisgoingwedonotknowwhere。Thegreatpleasureofconversationandsociety，besides，arisesfromacertaincorrespondenceofsentimentsandopinions，fromacertainharmonyofminds，whichlikesomanymusicalinstrumentscoincideandkeeptimewithoneanother。Butthismostdelightfulharmonycannotbeobtainedunlessthereisafreecommunicationofsentimentsandopinions。Wealldesire，uponthisaccount，tofeelhoweachotherisaffected，topenetrateintoeachother’sbosoms，andtoobservethesentimentsandaffectionswhichreallysubsistthere。Themanwhoindulgesusinthisnaturalpassion，whoinvitesusintohisheart，who，asitwere，setsopenthegatesofhisbreasttous，seemstoexerciseaspeciesofhospitalitymoredelightfulthananyother。Noman，whoisinordinarygoodtemper，canfailofpleasing，ifhehasthecouragetoutterhisrealsentimentsashefeelsthem，andbecausehefeelsthem。Itisthisunreservedsinceritywhichrenderseventheprattleofachildagreeable。Howweakandimperfectsoevertheviewsoftheopen-hearted，wetakepleasuretoenterintothem，andendeavour，asmuchaswecan，tobringdownourownunderstandingtotheleveloftheircapacities，andtoregardeverysubjectintheparticularlightinwhichtheyappeartohaveconsideredit。Thispassiontodiscovertherealsentimentsofothersisnaturallysostrong，thatitoftendegeneratesintoatroublesomeandimpertinentcuriositytopryintothosesecretsofourneighbourswhichtheyhaveveryjustifiablereasonsforconcealing；and，uponmanyoccasions，itrequiresprudenceandastrongsenseofproprietytogovernthis，aswellasalltheotherpassionsofhumannature，andtoreduceittothatpitchwhichanyimpartialspectatorcanapproveof。Todisappointthiscuriosity，however，whenitiskeptwithinproperbounds，andaimsatnothingwhichtherecanbeanyjustreasonforconcealing，isequallydisagreeableinitsturn。Themanwhoeludesourmostinnocentquestions，whogivesnosatisfactiontoourmostinoffensiveinquiries，whoplainlywrapshimselfupinimpenetrableobscurity，seems，asitwere，tobuildawallabouthisbreast。Werunforwardtogetwithinit，withalltheeagernessofharmlesscuriosity；andfeelourselvesallatoncepushedbackwiththerudestandmostoffensiveviolence。
Themanofreserveandconcealment，thoughseldomaveryamiablecharacter，isnotdisrespectedordespised。Heseemstofeelcoldlytowardsus，andwefeelascoldlytowardshim。Heisnotmuchpraisedorbeloved，butheisaslittlehatedorblamed。