--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The two biggest self-deceptions of all…" description: "\"The two biggest self-deceptions of all are that life has a 'meaning'and each of us is unique.\" — David Byrne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/david-byrne-1206_deception_the-two-biggest-self-deceptions-of-all-a_2487910.jpg" --- # The two biggest self-deceptions of all are that life has a… ![“The two biggest self-deceptions of all are that life has a 'meaning'and each of us is unique.” quote by David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/david-byrne-1206_deception_the-two-biggest-self-deceptions-of-all-a_2487910.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/david-byrne-1206_deception_the-two-biggest-self-deceptions-of-all-a_2487910.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/david-byrne-1206_deception_the-two-biggest-self-deceptions-of-all-a_2487910.jpg) > “The two biggest self-deceptions of all are that life has a 'meaning'and each of us is unique.” [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Claims people often deceive themselves by believing life has inherent meaning and that each person is uniquely special. **In simple terms:** Self‑deception about meaning and uniqueness. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about meaning. Themes existentialism self‑deception individuality Mood reflective critical Type philosophical thought‑provoking When to use this quote - career choices - relationship dynamics - spiritual quests Key Concepts meaning of life personal uniqueness Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel life has inherent meaning? - How does belief in uniqueness affect your choices? A Different Perspective May discount genuine personal values. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biggest Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biggest-self-233384/) [Deception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deception/) [Deceptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceptions/) [Deceptions Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceptions-life-933996/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-meaning/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self deception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-deception/) [Self Deceptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-deceptions-933995/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Unique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unique/) ## Related quotes > [It is one of the dangerous self-deceptions of our society to pretend that mechanisms of control do not really exist, and to maintain, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-heilbroner/it-is-one-of-the-dangerous-self-deceptions-of-our-society-to-pretend/) [Robert Heilbroner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-heilbroner/) > [“Of what use was memory anyway than as a template for one's most reassuring self-deceptions!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashim-shanker/of-what-use-was-memory-anyway-than-as-a-template-for-one-s-most/) [Ashim Shanker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashim-shanker/) > [When you know you are dying, self-deceptions fly from your bedside like embers off a bonfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darin-strauss/when-you-know-you-are-dying-self-deceptions-fly-from-your-bedside/) [Darin Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darin-strauss/) > [Whatever deceptions life may have in store for you, music itself is not going to let you down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-thomson/whatever-deceptions-life-may-have-in-store-for-you-music-itself-is/) [Virgil Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-thomson/) > [“One of the great self-deceptions--and one of the great foolishnesses--is to tell yourself, Only I will know. Only you will know that you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/one-of-the-great-self-deceptions-and-one-of-the-great-foolishnesses/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Man can try to name love, showering upon it all the names at his command, and still he will involve himself in endless self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/man-can-try-to-name-love-showering-upon-it-all-the-names-at-his/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [The endless, agonizing recycling of what might have been, soon followed by a litany of rationalizations and self-deceptions as you struggle to reconcile the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-endless-agonizing-recycling-of-what-might-have-been-soon-followed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Maturity is the ability to sort the portions of truth from the accepted lies and self-deceptions that you have grown up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/maturity-is-the-ability-to-sort-the-portions-of-truth-from-the/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [The worst of all deceptions is self-deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-worst-of-all-deceptions-is-self-deception/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [If it weren't for our illusions we'd be free from deceptions, and life free from any interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-it-weren-t-for-our-illusions-we-d-be-free-from-deceptions-and-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Believe in self is the biggest self motivation. If some one tries to let you down by saying you can't do it. Prove him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/believe-in-self-is-the-biggest-self-motivation-if-some-one-tries-to/) [Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/) > [Believe in self is biggest self motivation. Never confined yourself by the walls of disbelief, you must light the flame of trust in self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/believe-in-self-is-biggest-self-motivation-never-confined-yourself-by/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [Cognitive bias is the biggest self-imposed obstacle to progress, not only for oneself but in the end, for all mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cognitive-bias-is-the-biggest-self-imposed-obstacle-to-progress-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I feel like I'm playing good, I feel like I'm doing good, because for me, and all of the people around me know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weston-mckennie/if-i-feel-like-i-m-playing-good-i-feel-like-i-m-doing-good-because/) [Weston McKennie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weston-mckennie/) > [“We are the children of death and it is death that rescues us from the deceptions of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadegh-hedayat/we-are-the-children-of-death-and-it-is-death-that-rescues-us-from-the/) [Sadegh Hedayat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadegh-hedayat/) ## More by David Byrne > [The voting booth joint is a great leveler; the whole neighborhood - rich, poor, old, young, decrepit and spunky - they all turn out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/the-voting-booth-joint-is-a-great-leveler-the-whole-neighborhood-rich/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I remember talking with Arcade Fire after their first record, when they were getting all kinds of offers from major labels, and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-remember-talking-with-arcade-fire-after-their-first-record-when/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I ride my bike almost every day here in New York. It's getting safer to do so, but I do have to be fairly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-ride-my-bike-almost-every-day-here-in-new-york-it-s-getting-safer/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I've been asking myself: 'Why put together these things - CDs, albums?' The answer I came up with is, well, sometimes it's artistically viable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-ve-been-asking-myself-why-put-together-these-things-cds-albums-the/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“All that interconnectedness that facilitated much of the explosion of megawealth over the last decade also facilitated the interpenetration of everything, so no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/all-that-interconnectedness-that-facilitated-much-of-the-explosion-of/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I think sometimes - not always - I write songs that are accessible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-think-sometimes-not-always-i-write-songs-that-are-accessible/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“I pick up a copy of Newsweek on the plane and immediately notice how biased, slanted, and opinionated all the U.S. newsmagazine articles are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-pick-up-a-copy-of-newsweek-on-the-plane-and-immediately-notice-how/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [When you fall in love, you feel like a missing piece of a puzzle that's been found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/when-you-fall-in-love-you-feel-like-a-missing-piece-of-a-puzzle-that/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I wave to the double-decker buses from my bike, but the passengers never wave back. Why? Am I not an attraction?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-wave-to-the-double-decker-buses-from-my-bike-but-the-passengers/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [Technology has altered the way music sounds, how it’s composed and how we experience it. It has also flooded the world with music. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/technology-has-altered-the-way-music-sounds-how-it-s-composed-and-how/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [A lot of that worked itself out in the recording.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/a-lot-of-that-worked-itself-out-in-the-recording/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I came to New York to be a fine artist - that was my ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-came-to-new-york-to-be-a-fine-artist-that-was-my-ambition/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [Sometimes the European and North American public like some things to be exotic and kept at arm's length. They don't want sometimes to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/sometimes-the-european-and-north-american-public-like-some-things-to/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [Why not invest in the future of music, instead of building fortresses to preserve its past?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/why-not-invest-in-the-future-of-music-instead-of-building-fortresses/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) [Explore all 274 David Byrne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) ## More Deception quotes > [Fortunately, the mind is restless; when it uncovers a layer of its own deception, gives up an illusion, exposes a lie, it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-chernin/fortunately-the-mind-is-restless-when-it-uncovers-a-layer-of-its-own/) [Kim Chernin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-chernin/) > [“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/) > [“And so back to Cassie: who was she? Part of the deception; just a friend or something else…perhaps it was time to find out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-cusick-jones/and-so-back-to-cassie-who-was-she-part-of-the-deception-just-a-friend/) [Melanie Cusick-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-cusick-jones/) > [“Satan wants you to believe that you don't have a choice in the matter. You can't be happy until things go the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-rietzsch/satan-wants-you-to-believe-that-you-don-t-have-a-choice-in-the-matter/) [Lindsey Rietzsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-rietzsch/) > [No-deal Brexit could be Boris Johnson's biggest deception yet - worse than the Boris bus or the lies that had him sacked as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-davey/no-deal-brexit-could-be-boris-johnson-s-biggest-deception-yet-worse/) [Ed Davey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-davey/) > [The public should begin to understand that there's nothing that comes out of this campaign, or this Obama White House, that they can believe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sununu/the-public-should-begin-to-understand-that-there-s-nothing-that-comes/) [John Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sununu/) > [The history of institutions is often a history of deception and illusions; for their virtue depends on the ideas that produce and on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/the-history-of-institutions-is-often-a-history-of-deception-and/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Speaking of trust, ever since I wrote this book, 'Liespotting,' no one wants to meet me in person anymore - no, no, no, no,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-meyer/speaking-of-trust-ever-since-i-wrote-this-book-liespotting-no-one/) [Pamela Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-meyer/) > [Jack and Jill ran up the hill, both for a little fun. Jack's plan was deception while Jill sought affection. And Jack wouldn't quit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-faria-stolarz/jack-and-jill-ran-up-the-hill-both-for-a-little-fun-jack-s-plan-was/) [Laurie Faria Stolarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-faria-stolarz/) > [People with psychopathy are very good at reading the minds of their victims. That's probably most clearly seen in deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-baron-cohen/people-with-psychopathy-are-very-good-at-reading-the-minds-of-their/) [Simon Baron-Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-baron-cohen/) > [Any seeming deception in a statement is costly, not only in the expense of the advertising but in the detrimental effect produced upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/any-seeming-deception-in-a-statement-is-costly-not-only-in-the/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [Knowledge of God's Word is a bulwark against deception, temptation, accusation, even persecution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-louis-cole/knowledge-of-god-s-word-is-a-bulwark-against-deception-temptation/) [Edwin Louis Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-louis-cole/) > [In the last few years, the very idea of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is dredged up only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-musto/in-the-last-few-years-the-very-idea-of-telling-the-truth-the-whole/) [Michael Musto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-musto/) > [“To keep myself from harming or calling N and to stave off the rage and despair, I focus on my extraordinary son, drink midrange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-finnamore/to-keep-myself-from-harming-or-calling-n-and-to-stave-off-the-rage/) [Suzanne Finnamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-finnamore/) > [“For me, it´s sloth," I say. "Hedonistic sloth and escapism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-finnamore/for-me-it-s-sloth-i-say-hedonistic-sloth-and-escapism/) [Suzanne Finnamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-finnamore/) [Browse all 1,232 Deception quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deception/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The two biggest self-deceptions of all are that life has a 'meaning'and each of us is unique.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Byrne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/the-two-biggest-self-deceptions-of-all-are-that-life-has-a-meaning/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deception" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/the-two-biggest-self-deceptions-of-all-are-that-life-has-a-meaning/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/david-byrne-1206_deception_the-two-biggest-self-deceptions-of-all-a_2487910.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/david-byrne-1206_deception_the-two-biggest-self-deceptions-of-all-a_2487910.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/david-byrne-1206_deception_the-two-biggest-self-deceptions-of-all-a_2487910.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The two biggest self-deceptions of all are that life has a 'meaning'and each of us is unique.” — David Byrne", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Byrne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The two biggest self-deceptions of all...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/the-two-biggest-self-deceptions-of-all-are-that-life-has-a-meaning/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/the-two-biggest-self-deceptions-of-all-are-that-life-has-a-meaning/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```