Honesty is the best policy

Proverbial Meaning: Being honest is the best way to be in life, or when you’ve done something wrong.

Literal Origins: When doing business with people being honest is the best policy because without their trust your business will fail.

Common Usage: This is an extremely popular proverb, often quoted to someone when they’ve asked for advice on a situation where they did something wrong, or cheated on a love partner. The truth will come out in the end is the underlying sentiment.