The meaning of this sentence: tell the truth, not lie; Don't tell all the truth, don't tell all the lies; I just don't have to say everything, but what you say must be true.

The origin of this sentence:

In 2007, Premier Wen Jiabao visited Mr. Ji Xianlin, a convalescent master of Chinese studies, and congratulated Ji Lao on his 96th birthday. At that time, Premier Wen said, "I like reading your prose, and everything you said is true. You said that you have two advantages in this life: first, you were born in poverty and worked hard all your life; The second is to tell the truth. Right? " Ji Lao replied: "To tell the truth, don't tell lies. Don't tell all the truth, don't tell all the lies. "

"Don't tell all lies" is the moral bottom line of being a man, and "Don't tell all the truth" is the wisdom and skill of being a man.

The former is both a prerequisite and a moral principle, while the latter is a question of contingency and realistic logic.

It can be said that "don't tell all the truth, don't tell all the lies" is a wonderful way for Ji Lao, a learned scholar and an honest gentleman, to cope with the twists and turns of the world, protect himself under pressure and keep the moral bottom line, and it is also the rule and trick for the world to enjoy life.