Steven Millhauser Quotes

Pretending that we live doesn't make us alive.

The truth is, I've never fooled anyone. I've let men sometimes fool themselves.

We cannot forever hide the truth about ourselves, from ourselves.

I'm not lying to myself like most people.

It's essential to tell the truth at all times. This will reduce life's pain. Lying distorts reality. All forms of distorted thinking must be corrected.

I'm simply trying to tell the truth about human behaviour as I see it.

Things and actions are what they are, and the consequences of them will be what they will be: why then should we desire to be deceived?

Some people have a difficult time facing truth and reality. They prefer to live in a make-believe world, pretending that certain things aren't happening.

The world is full of fools; and he who would not wish to see one, must not only shut himself up alone, but must also break his looking-glass.

I am determined to live without illusions. I want to look at reality straight. Without hiding.

Dandyism is a lie which reveals the truth, and the truth is that we are what we pretend to be.

The most valuable thing I can share is the importance of living in truth. Sometimes, facing those truths can actually be your worst fear.

Nature never deceives us; it is we who deceive ourselves.

People don't want to hear the truth; they never do. They wanna live in some kind of fantasy.

A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar.

I come out of real life.

Some people stay in the academic world just to avoid becoming self-aware. You can quote me on that.

Because you're not what I would have you be, I blind myself to who, in truth, you are.

I don't think people like to read about themselves or about others as they really are. It would be too horrifying.

There's people who live life authentically and there's people who live a life of fabrication. And it begins with the question of how you're gonna do your time. And these are observations I made about Folsom when I was there with Dustin Hoffman when he was directing 'Straight Time.'

The more horrible the truth that you admit, the better you connect. You have to tell the truth.

Honesty lies in understanding our close and necessary relationship with not wanting to hear the truth.

Become reality driven. Don’t kid yourself or others.

We don’t like to face unpleasant reality. We want our leaders to tell us what we want to hear …. You cannot manipulate reality. Reality will real its ugly head

Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself