What phrase is a recurring motto in the television series House M.D.?

“Everybody lies” is a recurring motto in House M.D.

House uses the phrase to express his belief that patients routinely omit, distort, or misunderstand important information. In the show’s diagnostic structure, a hidden fact can change the interpretation of an entire case, so House treats patient statements as evidence that must be tested rather than accepted automatically.

The phrase appears early in the series and became one of its most recognizable lines. It reflects House’s distrustful worldview, but it also serves a practical storytelling purpose: the medical team must investigate behavior, surroundings, records, and test results in addition to taking a patient history.

The motto does not mean that every patient deliberately deceives the doctors. People may be embarrassed, frightened, confused, unconscious of their habits, or unaware that a detail matters. That nuance is part of why the phrase works as both a character statement and a diagnostic rule.