When a person cannot deceive himself the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.

truth deception

About Mark Twain

Portrait of Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He has been praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced", with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature". Twain's novels include...

More quotations from Mark Twain

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable.

facts statistics persuasion

There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact.

The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot.

humanity wrong right

We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.

talent recognition

More quotations tagged with “deception”

At times he could be charming and gracious, which was what had made it so hard to leave him. His ability to be tender and loving was equal to his capacity to be deceptive and underhanded. He could rip out my heart and then be the first one to pick it up and hand it back to me.

—Debbie Macomber in A Girl's Guide to Moving On

love deception charm tenderness

The secret of life is to appreciate the pleasure of being terribly, terribly deceived.

pleasure lies deception appreciation

It was the men I deceived the most that I loved the most.

—Marguerite Duras

love deception lying

You would be surprised at the lengths you will go to believe the best about someone if you truly love him.

—Jodi Picoult in The Storyteller

love optimism deception self-deception

The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity.

lies deception hypocrisy sincerity

History

7 Mar 2014 Added