Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“An hour of plain-dealing does more for the salvation of the world than years of duplicity.”
- Source
- The Simple Life
- Date
- 1901
- English wording
- Mary Louise Hendee — Translator · from French
Meaning of “An hour of plain-dealing does more for the…”
The contrast gives direct truthful dealing greater moral value than prolonged strategic ambiguity, making sincerity a practical social good rather than mere style.
Where does it come from?
The Simple Life, Chapter IV, “Simplicity of Speech,” Mary Louise Hendee translation, Project Gutenberg #23092; the line follows Wagner’s appeal for the “speech of honor.”
