What phrase is used as Gregory House’s recurring diagnostic motto in House M.D.?

“Everybody lies” is Gregory House’s recurring diagnostic motto in House M.D.

House uses the phrase to emphasize that patient histories may be incomplete, inaccurate, or deliberately misleading. In his view, symptoms and test results must be evaluated independently rather than accepted uncritically. The motto reflects the show’s detective-story structure, in which hidden information can change the diagnosis.

The phrase is associated especially with the pilot episode, which is titled “Everybody Lies.” It became one of the series’ most recognizable lines, but it is not a formal medical rule. Real clinicians rely on communication, trust, examination, testing, and medical records; assuming universal dishonesty would damage patient care.

The wording is also easy to confuse with “Everybody Dies,” the title of the series finale. The two phrases share the same opening word but refer to completely different parts of the show: one is House’s recurring principle, while the other names the final scripted episode.