--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are all masters of self-deceit. We can…" description: "\"“We are all masters of self-deceit. We can justify what we do and why we do it and that is what must be overcome if we want to make our time and action..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1d/dave-o-connor-57367_deceit_we-are-all-masters-of-self-deceit-we-can_3190519.jpg" --- # We are all masters of self-deceit. We can justify what we… ![“We are all masters of self-deceit. We can justify what we do and why we do it and that is what must be overcome if we want to make our time and actions count. You” quote by Dave O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1d/dave-o-connor-57367_deceit_we-are-all-masters-of-self-deceit-we-can_3190519.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1d/dave-o-connor-57367_deceit_we-are-all-masters-of-self-deceit-we-can_3190519.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1d/dave-o-connor-57367_deceit_we-are-all-masters-of-self-deceit-we-can_3190519.jpg) > ““We are all masters of self-deceit. We can justify what we do and why we do it and that is what must be overcome if we want to make our time and actions count. You”” [Dave O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-o-connor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑deception masks true motives; overcoming it is essential for meaningful action. **In simple terms:** Stop lying to yourself to act meaningfully. Key Takeaway Identify and challenge your rationalizations. Themes self‑deception accountability purpose growth Mood introspective motivational Type philosophical self‑help When to use this quote - career planning - habit formation - decision making Key Concepts psychology ethics productivity Questions to Reflect On - What rationalizations do you use daily? - How can you test the truth of your motives? A Different Perspective Self‑deception can be a coping mechanism, making change painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deceit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceit/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Self-deceit is a sure defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/self-deceit-is-a-sure-defeat/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [If anyone can refute me-show me I'm making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective-I'l l gladly change. It's the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/if-anyone-can-refute-me-show-me-i-m-making-a-mistake-or-looking-at/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what every man wishes, that he also believes to be true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/nothing-is-easier-than-self-deceit-for-what-every-man-wishes-that-he/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [“As for self-deceit, most people find it as essential for survival as air. You rarely indulge in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/as-for-self-deceit-most-people-find-it-as-essential-for-survival-as/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each me wishes, that he also believes is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/nothing-is-easier-than-self-deceit-for-what-each-me-wishes-that-he/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [Just as surely as distress must follow self-deceit, healing must follow self-honesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/just-as-surely-as-distress-must-follow-self-deceit-healing-must/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Self-deceit—It’s in the “Nine Satanic Statements” but deserves to be repeated here. Another cardinal sin. We must not pay homage to any of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-szandor-lavey/self-deceit-it-s-in-the-nine-satanic-statements-but-deserves-to-be/) [Anton Szandor LaVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-szandor-lavey/) > [“Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/nothing-is-easier-than-self-deceit-for-what-each-man-wishes-that-he/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [Self-deceit is a most damaging trait. The remedy, for an artist, is to paint a self-portrait!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-kahn/self-deceit-is-a-most-damaging-trait-the-remedy-for-an-artist-is-to/) [Scott Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-kahn/) > [“Aikido versus Aikido breeds weakness and self-deceit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obata-toshishiro/aikido-versus-aikido-breeds-weakness-and-self-deceit/) Obata Toshishiro > [“Whomever you truly are... honor that person. No dream was ever realized by disappearing into the shadows of self-deceit and doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaeda-dewalt/whomever-you-truly-are-honor-that-person-no-dream-was-ever-realized/) [Jaeda DeWalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaeda-dewalt/) > [“It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/it-s-the-truth-i-m-after-and-the-truth-never-harmed-anyone-what-harms/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [It's very difficult to escape your background. You know, I don't think it's necessary to even try to escape it. More and more, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/it-s-very-difficult-to-escape-your-background-you-know-i-don-t-think/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [“Ours is a world full of self-deceit, my friend. But it is at the same time a world full of sincere truth seeking, scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanzi-freinacht/ours-is-a-world-full-of-self-deceit-my-friend-but-it-is-at-the-same/) [Hanzi Freinacht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanzi-freinacht/) > [We are easily shocked by crimes which appear at once in their full magnitude, but the gradual growth of our own wickedness, endeared by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/we-are-easily-shocked-by-crimes-which-appear-at-once-in-their-full/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More by Dave O'Connor > [“Winners always know in advance that they’re going to win. Just”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-o-connor/winners-always-know-in-advance-that-they-re-going-to-win-just/) [Dave O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-o-connor/) > [“The power of vision is one of the most important things you will ever learn! It is the fuel that makes your goals and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-o-connor/the-power-of-vision-is-one-of-the-most-important-things-you-will-ever/) [Dave O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-o-connor/) > [“I have not failed ten thousand times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those ten thousand ways won’t work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-o-connor/i-have-not-failed-ten-thousand-times-i-have-not-failed-once-i-have/) [Dave O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-o-connor/) > [“The truth is most of us are living someone else’s dream and in many cases our lives turn out to be someone else’s nightmare.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-o-connor/the-truth-is-most-of-us-are-living-someone-else-s-dream-and-in-many/) [Dave O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-o-connor/) > [“The wonderful thing about life is that tomorrow is a brand new day. At”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-o-connor/the-wonderful-thing-about-life-is-that-tomorrow-is-a-brand-new-day-at/) [Dave O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-o-connor/) [Explore all 6 Dave O'Connor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-o-connor/) ## More Deceit quotes > [There is no deceit in death. It delivers precisely what it has promised. Betrayal, though ... betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/km-ii/there-is-no-deceit-in-death-it-delivers-precisely-what-it-has/) [KM II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/km-ii/) > [ “Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari \[living a worldly life\] regardless of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-there-is-worldly/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [“The fact that I can get away with something is the very reason why I shouldn’t do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-fact-that-i-can-get-away-with-something-is-the-very-reason-why-i/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [So may the outward shows be least themselves; The world is still deceived with ornament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-may-the-outward-shows-be-least-themselves-the-world-is-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't let him, trick you into thinking he will always be there for you, because the minute a more prettier women walks into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-let-him-trick-you-into-thinking-he-will-always-be-there-for-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A false mind is false in everything, just as a cross eye always looks askant. But one may err once, nay, a hundred times,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/a-false-mind-is-false-in-everything-just-as-a-cross-eye-always-looks/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) > [Self-deceit is a sure defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/self-deceit-is-a-sure-defeat/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/only-fools-argue-whether-to-eat-meat-or-not-they-don-t-understand/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [“You can be bit in the leg by a rattlesnake and seek help to heal your wound, or you can run after it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-can-be-bit-in-the-leg-by-a-rattlesnake-and-seek-help-to-heal-your/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [While the prosecution has said this is about the defendants lies, one worries that those lies already have been buried under too much discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berg/while-the-prosecution-has-said-this-is-about-the-defendants-lies-one/) [David Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berg/) > [It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/it-is-discouraging-how-many-people-are-shocked-by-honesty-and-how-few/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) > [“They have secret weapons that break the heart of innocents, elevate stress levels, shoot down to make it look guilt. They can burn from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-karvouni/they-have-secret-weapons-that-break-the-heart-of-innocents-elevate/) [Maria Karvouni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-karvouni/) > [Our distrust of another justifies his deceit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-distrust-of-another-justifies-his-deceit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [You used me when you needed a companion, I love you unconditionally. Now you think you are done while I can't get over you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/usman-ismaheel/you-used-me-when-you-needed-a-companion-i-love-you-unconditionally/) [Usman Ismaheel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/usman-ismaheel/) [Browse all 990 Deceit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceit/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We are all masters of self-deceit. 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