Every cloud has a silver lining.
—Common Proverb
The natural man has a difficult time getting along in the world. Half the people think he is a scoundrel because he is not a hypocrite.
—E. W. Howe (1853–1937) American Novelist, Editor
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
No man was ever so much deceived by another as by himself.
—George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1746–1816) British Nobleman, Politician
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 is very noble hypocrisy not to talk of one’s self.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
Who had deceived thee so often as thyself?
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
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
When a person cannot deceive himself the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
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
The easiest person to deceive is one’s own self.
—Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803–73) British Novelist, Poet, Politician
I have always considered it as treason against the great republic of human nature, to make any man’s virtues the means of deceiving him.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright, who art as black as hell, as dark as night.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
All deception in the course of life is indeed nothing else but a lie reduced to practice, and falsehood passing from words into things.
—Robert South (1634–1716) English Theologian, Preacher
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
Cheat me in the price, but not in the goods.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
You are never so easily fooled as when trying to fool someone else.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Every man takes care that his neighbor shall not cheat him. But a day comes when he begins to care that he do not cheat his neighbor. Then all goes well. He has changed his market-cart into a chariot of the sun.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Men still have to be governed by deception.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
To give up pretensions is as blessed a relief as to get them ratified.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
The art of using deceit and cunning grow continually weaker and less effective to the user.
—John Tillotson
It is in the ability to deceive oneself that the greatest talent is shown.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
It is twice the pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
—Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95) French Poet, Short Story Writer
If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Subtlety may deceive you; integrity never will.
—Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658) British Head of State, Military Leader
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
Deceive not thy physician, confessor, nor lawyer.
—George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh Anglican Poet, Orator, Clergyman
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Half the work that is done in this world is to make things appear what they are not.
—Elias Root Beadle (1812–65) American Clergyman