It's one thing to understate things out of modesty or social grace and quite another to hide your light because you're afraid to show people what you're up to.

They say that when a lie is repeated often enough it becomes the truth. 

In order for a distortion of the truth to be validated it's necessary for the teller of the story to believe totally in the myth they're telling and for the person listening to want to believe.

You are strong because you have been weak.

You are fierceless because you have been afraid.

You are wise because you have been foolish.

The truth has consequences that will be weighed against the consequences of lies.

In other words, people will tell as much truth as they think they can tell, without getting into trouble.