Original artwork, not a still
Jerry, just remember, it’s not a lie if you believe it.
— Seinfeld • 1989
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
George, the least honest man on television, hands over his one real skill as if it were a technique anyone could learn. The rule is funny because it is also true to how people talk themselves into things, and the episode's own joke is that Jerry, who is not George, cannot do it. It is now quoted online whenever someone describes sincere self-deception, politicians included.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for SeinfeldShow the scene
In "The Beard" (Seinfeld, season 6, NBC, 9 February 1995, written by Carol Leifer), Jerry's new girlfriend Sgt. Cathy Tierny, a police officer, wants him to take a lie detector test at the station to find out whether he secretly watches Melrose Place. He insists he does not, but he does. He asks George how to beat the polygraph. George, who has just stopped wearing his toupee, gives his rule: a lie is not a lie if you believe it. Jerry sits the test anyway and cracks under questions about the show's plot twists.
Sources (1)
- Seinfeld Wiki: The BeardIntro and PlotReference checked
Context reviewed
