--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It doesn't matter if the truth is right…" description: "\"It doesn't matter if the truth is right there out in front of your eyes. You will find a way, a mechanism, in order to keep your own system of denial. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b95/bassem-youssef-22282_denial_it-doesn-t-matter-if-the-truth-is-right_163270.jpg" --- # It doesn't matter if the truth is right there out in front… ![“It doesn't matter if the truth is right there out in front of your eyes. You will find a way, a mechanism, in order to keep your own system of denial. So as I always say it, denial is a river that runs in the - in Egypt. So we became very good in that.” quote by Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b95/bassem-youssef-22282_denial_it-doesn-t-matter-if-the-truth-is-right_163270.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b95/bassem-youssef-22282_denial_it-doesn-t-matter-if-the-truth-is-right_163270.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b95/bassem-youssef-22282_denial_it-doesn-t-matter-if-the-truth-is-right_163270.jpg) > “It doesn't matter if the truth is right there out in front of your eyes. You will find a way, a mechanism, in order to keep your own system of denial. So as I always say it, denial is a river that runs in the - in Egypt. So we became very good in that.” [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often reject obvious facts, creating elaborate rationalizations to protect their beliefs. **In simple terms:** Denial protects self‑image by ignoring clear evidence. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge your own rationalizations. Themes psychology cognition self‑deception Mood reflective critical Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - personal relationships - political discourse - media consumption Key Concepts cognitive bias defense mechanisms Questions to Reflect On - What evidence are you dismissing? - How does denial affect your decisions? A Different Perspective Denial can reinforce harmful beliefs and impede growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) [Denial River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial-river-1787073/) [Denial Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial-say-1787072/) [Egypt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egypt/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Fronts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fronts/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Mechanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mechanism/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Say Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-denial-1787071/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-is/) [Ur Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ur-eyes/) [Very good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-good/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Once upon a time, I thought denial was a river in Egypt. It's actually the attitude of the Abbott government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/once-upon-a-time-i-thought-denial-was-a-river-in-egypt-it-s-actually/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [If any man would come after me, let him deny himself." The disciple must say to himself the same words Peter said of Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/if-any-man-would-come-after-me-let-him-deny-himself-the-disciple-must/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only Him who goes before and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/to-deny-oneself-is-to-be-aware-only-of-christ-and-no-more-of-self-to/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Denial,they say, stands for"Don't even notice I am lying." Human beings are the only animals who are happily lied to by our own minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/denial-they-say-stands-for-don-t-even-notice-i-am-lying-human-beings/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [You don't need the painful memories, because either you've resolved them. Denying always makes them want to come back. Denial is a mechanism that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-rampling/you-don-t-need-the-painful-memories-because-either-you-ve-resolved/) [Charlotte Rampling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-rampling/) > [“Apparently, denial isn't just a river in Egypt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/z-b-heller/apparently-denial-isn-t-just-a-river-in-egypt/) [Z.B. Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/z-b-heller/) > [Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/denial-ain-t-just-a-river-in-egypt/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Its up to any government to decide how to react to the denial of basic human rights anywhere in the world, including Egypt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/its-up-to-any-government-to-decide-how-to-react-to-the-denial-of/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [There are people who believe in Egypt that I - I'm actually - I'm getting paid by external powers and external intelligence entities in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/there-are-people-who-believe-in-egypt-that-i-i-m-actually-i-m-getting/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [“In the two years since I left Egypt, things haven’t gotten better. Thousands of people have been incarcerated for the most trivial reasons. Hundreds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/in-the-two-years-since-i-left-egypt-things-haven-t-gotten-better/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [I think by the time I left Egypt, there was about like 400 accusations against me in the drawer of the public persecutor office.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/i-think-by-the-time-i-left-egypt-there-was-about-like-400-accusations/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [People would believe propagate, spread rumors or conspiracy theories in order to protect their own system of denial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/people-would-believe-propagate-spread-rumors-or-conspiracy-theories/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [When his highness sends a ship to Egypt, does he trouble his head whether the mice on board are at their ease or not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/when-his-highness-sends-a-ship-to-egypt-does-he-trouble-his-head/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [ The best way to marginalize the Muslim Brotherhood \[in Egypt\] is in the ballot box, not through arrests and killing people. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/the-best-way-to-marginalize-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-egypt-is-in-the/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) ## More by Bassem Youssef > [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [People went out there and they wrote articles and went on television shows saying that I am an operative that the CIA who used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/people-went-out-there-and-they-wrote-articles-and-went-on-television/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [Donald Trump is not stupid. He knows exactly what he's saying. And he's just saying out there - I mean, forget about Muslims. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/donald-trump-is-not-stupid-he-knows-exactly-what-he-s-saying-and-he-s/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [Satire has its limits. It is really up to the people to make the change. The satirist's role ends at the screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/satire-has-its-limits-it-is-really-up-to-the-people-to-make-the/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [There are people who believe in Egypt that I - I'm actually - I'm getting paid by external powers and external intelligence entities in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/there-are-people-who-believe-in-egypt-that-i-i-m-actually-i-m-getting/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [I was accused of insulting the president, insulting Islam, insulting - spreading rumors, disturbing the peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/i-was-accused-of-insulting-the-president-insulting-islam-insulting/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [Everybody grows up with comedy. I mean, Egyptian comedy has a very, very old tradition. Our theater and our movies are just, like, amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/everybody-grows-up-with-comedy-i-mean-egyptian-comedy-has-a-very-very/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [People would believe propagate, spread rumors or conspiracy theories in order to protect their own system of denial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/people-would-believe-propagate-spread-rumors-or-conspiracy-theories/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [People say, 'Are you afraid? Are you scared for your life?' and I tell them: If I choose today to tone it down, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/people-say-are-you-afraid-are-you-scared-for-your-life-and-i-tell/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [“With Sissi, he was not the elephant in the room, he was the elephant and the room. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/with-sissi-he-was-not-the-elephant-in-the-room-he-was-the-elephant/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [“In the two years since I left Egypt, things haven’t gotten better. Thousands of people have been incarcerated for the most trivial reasons. Hundreds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/in-the-two-years-since-i-left-egypt-things-haven-t-gotten-better/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [What I saw day-to-day is like people who are actually asking for freedom, calling for freedom - protesting, singing, chanting, calling for the removal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/what-i-saw-day-to-day-is-like-people-who-are-actually-asking-for/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [I think by the time I left Egypt, there was about like 400 accusations against me in the drawer of the public persecutor office.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/i-think-by-the-time-i-left-egypt-there-was-about-like-400-accusations/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [I think that the religious and the military right wings are just two sides of the same coin if somebody uses God and religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/i-think-that-the-religious-and-the-military-right-wings-are-just-two/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [“Normal people began to see that a beard was not synonymous with honesty. It was simply a patchy place to hide one's lies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/normal-people-began-to-see-that-a-beard-was-not-synonymous-with/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) [Explore all 27 Bassem Youssef quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) ## More Denial quotes > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [A mistake doesnt make you a fool, but denying it surely makes you one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-mistake-doesnt-make-you-a-fool-but-denying-it-surely-makes-you-one/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [It is through suppression that hells are formed in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/it-is-through-suppression-that-hells-are-formed-in-us/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [Atheist’s denial of God’s existence needs just as much substantiation as does the theist’s claim; the atheist must give plausible reasons for rejecting God’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-copan/atheist-s-denial-of-god-s-existence-needs-just-as-much-substantiation/) [Paul Copan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-copan/) > [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [What you try to bury just ends up burying you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wagner/what-you-try-to-bury-just-ends-up-burying-you/) [Jane Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wagner/) > [Its up to any government to decide how to react to the denial of basic human rights anywhere in the world, including Egypt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/its-up-to-any-government-to-decide-how-to-react-to-the-denial-of/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Living in denial only makes finding the truth that much harder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-f/living-in-denial-only-makes-finding-the-truth-that-much-harder/) [Jules F](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-f/) > [Sanity can take one of only two forms: that of ignorance, or denial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-r-audette/sanity-can-take-one-of-only-two-forms-that-of-ignorance-or-denial/) [Derek R. Audette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-r-audette/) > [Denial leads to closure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marwin-machiaveli/denial-leads-to-closure/) [Aruho Marwin Machiaveli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marwin-machiaveli/) > [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [It is not a question of who dances but of who or what does not dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/it-is-not-a-question-of-who-dances-but-of-who-or-what-does-not-dance/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [What’s looming in the shadows of our ignorance and denial is a critique of civilization itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lierre-keith/what-s-looming-in-the-shadows-of-our-ignorance-and-denial-is-a/) [Lierre Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lierre-keith/) > [“You can hold on to the smallest doubt and take comfort in it, stay in denial and go on with your carefree life, until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/you-can-hold-on-to-the-smallest-doubt-and-take-comfort-in-it-stay-in/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) [Browse all 1,463 Denial quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It doesn't matter if the truth is right there out in front of your eyes. 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