Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering the weaknesses of others.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another.
—Homer (751–651 BCE) Ancient Greek Poet
We like to be deceived.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
To give up pretensions is as blessed a relief as to get them ratified.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
No man is happy without a delusion of some kind. Delusions are as necessary to our happiness as realities.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
Deceivers are the most dangerous members of society.—They trifle with the best affections of our nature, and violate the most sacred obligations.
—George Crabbe
Life is the art of being well deceived.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
When a person cannot deceive himself the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
The great advantages of simulation and dissimulation are three. First to lay asleep opposition and to surprise. For where a man’s intentions are published, it is an alarum to call up all that are against them. The second is to reserve a man’s self a fair retreat: for if a man engage himself, by a manifest declaration, he must go through, or take a fall. The third is, the better to discover the mind of another. For to him that opens himself, men will hardly show themselves adverse; but will fair let him go on, and turn their freedom of speech to freedom of thought.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Every cloud has a silver lining.
—Common Proverb
Unlike grownups, children have little need to deceive themselves.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Don’t part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
The craftiest trickery are too short and ragged a cloak to cover a bad heart.
—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801) Swiss Theologian, Poet
It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
All war is based on deception.
—Sun Tzu (fl.c.544–496 BCE) Chinese General, Military Theorist
Cheat me in the price, but not in the goods.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
To know how to disguise is the knowledge of kings.
—Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642) French Cardinal, Statemesan
Tricks and treachery are the practice of fools, that don’t have brains enough to be honest.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Deceive not thy physician, confessor, nor lawyer.
—George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh Anglican Poet, Orator, Clergyman
You are never so easily fooled as when trying to fool someone else.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
The art of using deceit and cunning grow continually weaker and less effective to the user.
—John Tillotson
Who had deceived thee so often as thyself?
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
No man was ever so much deceived by another as by himself.
—George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1746–1816) British Nobleman, Politician
Whenever, therefore, people are deceived and form opinions wide of the truth, it is clear that the error has slid into their minds through the medium of certain resemblances to that truth.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
He who has made it a practice to lie and deceive his father, will be the most daring in deceiving others.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
It seems to me that there are two kinds of trickery: the “fronts” people assume before one another’s eyes, and the “front” a writer puts on the face of reality.
—Francoise Sagan (1935–2004) French Novelist, Playwright, Short-Story Writer
Man’s mind is so formed that it is far more susceptible to falsehood than to truth.
—Desiderius Erasmus (c.1469–1536) Dutch Humanist, Scholar
The people of the world having once been deceived, suspect deceit in truth itself.
—The Hitopadesha Indian Collection of Fables
The art of pleasing is the art of deception.
—Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues (1715–47) French Moralist, Essayist, Writer
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