What phrase expressing Gregory House’s view of human nature recurs in House M.D.?

“Everybody lies” is the recurring phrase expressing Gregory House’s view of human nature in House M.D.

House uses the line to argue that patients, relatives, and colleagues conceal information or distort events. In the show’s diagnostic logic, an apparently minor lie can hide an exposure, habit, relationship, or symptom that changes the diagnosis. The phrase therefore functions as both a character motto and a recurring medical-story device.

The wording is not a claim that every person lies in exactly the same way. It reflects House’s distrust and his belief that behavior is often more informative than stated testimony. Other characters, especially James Wilson and Lisa Cuddy, frequently challenge the harshness of his assumptions.

The line became strongly associated with the series and was used in promotional material and episode dialogue. It also fits the show’s Sherlock Holmes influence: House treats a patient’s account like a detective’s clue, testing it against observable evidence rather than accepting it automatically.