Which phrase is Dr. House’s recurring motto in House M.D.?

“Everybody lies” is Dr. House’s recurring motto in House M.D. He uses the phrase to argue that patients routinely hide information, whether from embarrassment, fear, confusion or a desire to protect someone else.

The line reflects House’s diagnostic philosophy: symptoms and test results should be treated as evidence, while a patient’s account may be incomplete. His team therefore investigates homes, workplaces and personal relationships instead of relying solely on interviews.

“Everybody lies” became one of the show’s best-known catchphrases and appears in promotional material, episode dialogue and discussions of House’s Sherlock Holmes-like skepticism. It does not mean every patient intentionally deceives doctors; the series often shows that omissions are unconscious or motivated by privacy.

The phrase is associated specifically with House, but it is not the program’s title or a medical rule. It summarizes his cynical worldview and drives many episode plots.