Just because something isn't a lie does not mean that it isn't deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.

The quotation distinguishes between outright lying and a subtler, often more effective form of manipulation: selective truth-telling. Jami suggests that deception can be engineered through omission, framing, and partial disclosure—techniques that allow the speaker to maintain technical honesty while still steering others toward false conclusions. The contrast between the “liar,” who at least recognizes his own dishonesty, and the “craftsman of destruction,” who weaponizes fragments of truth, implies a moral escalation: partial truths can corrode trust and judgment while remaining harder to challenge. The line underscores how ethical communication depends not only on factual accuracy but also on intent, completeness, and the likely inferences a listener will draw.