The importance of sincerity lies in the fact that without it, human relationships would become unreliable. This realization is the result of deep self-understanding regarding our history and ourselves. However, sincerity is not merely the avoidance of lying. One can state something that is literally correct while harboring the intention to mislead others. Williams argues that if the underlying intention is to persuade someone to believe a falsehood, the specific method used to deceive does not really matter. What matters here is not literal speech, but the context, tone, selection of words, omissions, and shared background understanding. Trust in speech is therefore a much broader concept than simply avoiding outright lies. Ultimately, sincerity refers to a stable disposition. It requires us not to exploit the structures of communication in order to manipulate another’s understanding.

真诚的重要性在于：若是没有真诚，人际关系将变得极不可靠。这一认知源于我们对自身与历史的深刻自我理解。然而，真诚不仅仅是不说谎。一个人完全可以说出字面上绝对正确的话，但其真实意图却是误导他人。威廉斯指出，如果根本意图就是诱使某人相信某个虚假的断言，那么具体使用什么欺骗手段其实并不重要。因此，在这里起决定作用的并非字面上的言辞，而是语境、语气、用词的选择、刻意的省略，以及彼此共享的背景认知。可见，言语中的信任远比仅仅“不说谎”要宽泛得多。归根结底，真诚指的是一种稳定的品性。它要求我们不去利用沟通的结构来操纵他人的理解。