Self Deception Quotes

I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me.

Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.

Language is something you inherit, it's never just you doing the talking, which helps when you're pretending.

It is a self-deception of philosophers and moralists to imagine that they escape decadence by opposing it. That is beyond their will; and, however little they acknowledge it, one later discovers that they were among the most powerful promoters of decadence.

It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.

Nothing is so deceiving as knowledge.

The notion of the perfect time is more than myth. It's the ultimate self-delusion.

I believe in my mask- The man I made up is me
I believe in my dance- And my destiny

The failure to read good books both enfeebles the vision and strengthens our most fatal tendency - the belief that the here and now is all there is.

A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.

Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears.

People go on marrying because they can't resist natural forces, although many of them may know perfectly well that they are possibly buying a month's pleasure with a life's discomfort.

Fantasy and drama appeal to us. They are socially acceptable and make you feel good about yourself. Moreover, you get rewarded for being cleverly ignorant.

Reality blithely ignores the lies we tell ourselves about it.

Reality denied comes back to haunt.

History is a set of lies agreed upon.

Does not people's preoccupation these days with drugs, alcohol, medication and self deception prove that the truth not only hurts, but it is torture to bear?

Raging crime, class warfare, invasive immigrants, light morals, public misbehavior. Always we convince ourselves that the parade of unwelcome and despised is a new phenomenon, which is why the phrase "the good old days" has passed from cliché to self-parody.