Bertrand Russell Quotes

How much rationality and higher protection there is in such self-deception, and how much falseness I still require in order to allow myself again and again the luxury of my sincerity.

Only one deception is possible in the infinite sense, self-deception.

if you tell yourself the great lie of bad art-that you are in charge-your chance at the truth will be lost. The truth isn't always pretty.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.

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.

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

Unlike grown ups, children have little need to deceive themselves.

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

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

I think it would be shocking for me to pretend not to have any past. And also, it would be a lie.

I'm not lying to myself like most people.

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

I'm the worst liar - I can't lie for my life. And I don't lie at all, because I'm the worst liar - but as a kid, I thought I was a great liar, so I would lie all the time, but everybody knew I was lying.

If I pretended to be confident all the time, that would just be a lie.

Oh.' I shot upright. 'I was in Mongolia.' Note to self: learn to be a less extreme liar.

Truth is a well-known pathological liar. It invariably turns out to be Fiction wearing a fancy frock. Self-proclaimed Fiction, on the other hand, is entirely honest. You can tell this, because it comes right out and says, "I'm a Liar," right there on the dust jacket.

No matter how much we ask after the truth, self-awareness is often unpleasant. We do not feel kindly toward the Truthsayer.

If your not honest with yourself, how the hell are you gonna be honest with me.

But better to get hurt by the truth than comforted with a lie.

No. Harsh truth was better than comfortable lies. It had to be.

Self-analysis always cheats.

Because even if the lie is beautiful, the truth is what you face in the end.

When you know you are dying, self-deceptions fly from your bedside like embers off a bonfire.

Live a lie, and you will live to regret it; that's what livin' is to me.