--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing is so easy as to deceive one's…" description: "\"Nothing is so easy as to deceive one's self; for what we wish, that we readily believe; but such expectations are often inconsistent with the real stat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/736/demosthenes-11463_believe_nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-one-s-s_3017510.jpg" --- # Nothing is so easy as to deceive one's self; for what we… ![“Nothing is so easy as to deceive one's self; for what we wish, that we readily believe; but such expectations are often inconsistent with the real state of things.” quote by Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/736/demosthenes-11463_believe_nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-one-s-s_3017510.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/736/demosthenes-11463_believe_nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-one-s-s_3017510.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/736/demosthenes-11463_believe_nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-one-s-s_3017510.jpg) > “Nothing is so easy as to deceive one's self; for what we wish, that we readily believe; but such expectations are often inconsistent with the real state of things.” [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) ## 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 arises when desires override reality, leading to false beliefs that clash with truth. **In simple terms:** Desire blinds reality. Key Takeaway Check your beliefs against facts. Themes self‑deception truth philosophy critical thinking Mood philosophical reflective critical Type motivational self‑help When to use this quote - personal goals - political rhetoric - media consumption - decision making Key Concepts cognitive bias self‑awareness rationality Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs do you hold without evidence? - How can you test your assumptions? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑seated beliefs is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing is so easy as to deceive oneself; for what we wish, we readily believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-oneself-for-what-we-wish-we-readily/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [Nothing is more easy than to deceive one's self, as our affections are subtle persuaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/nothing-is-more-easy-than-to-deceive-one-s-self-as-our-affections-are/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [The easiest person to deceive is one's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-easiest-person-to-deceive-is-one-s-self/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is as easy to deceive one's self without perceiving it, as it is difficult to deceive others without their finding out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-as-easy-to-deceive-one-s-self-without-perceiving-it-as-it-is/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“The easiest person to deceive is one’s own self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-easiest-person-to-deceive-is-one-s-own-self/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What we wish, that we readily believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/what-we-wish-that-we-readily-believe/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [“i believe expectations are premeditated resentment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-believe-expectations-are-premeditated-resentment/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I do not allow anybody to hurt me without my permission, because, I believe in no expectations, no disappointments, no hurting myself, just being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-usman-aman/i-do-not-allow-anybody-to-hurt-me-without-my-permission-because-i/) Muhammad Usman Aman > [I believe I've spent my life expecting people to behave in a certain way. I believe that when they didn't behave according to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-lorre/i-believe-i-ve-spent-my-life-expecting-people-to-behave-in-a-certain/) [Chuck Lorre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-lorre/) > [What we wish, we readily believe, and what we ourselves think, we imagine others think also.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-caesar/what-we-wish-we-readily-believe-and-what-we-ourselves-think-we/) [Julius Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-caesar/) > [People readily believe what they want to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-caesar/people-readily-believe-what-they-want-to-believe/) [Julius Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-caesar/) > [“Misery will not come to the one who does not deceive his own Self. Miseries arise because one deceives one’s own Self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/misery-will-not-come-to-the-one-who-does-not-deceive-his-own-self/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Don't deceive your self, Your English and Accent isn't a measure of intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumisani-bafana/don-t-deceive-your-self-your-english-and-accent-isn-t-a-measure-of/) Dumisani Bafana > [Nothing is so easy as to deceive one’s self when one does not lack wit and is familiar with all the niceties of language.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-one-s-self-when-one-does-not-lack/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [There is a great deal of wishful thinking in such cases it is the easiest thing of all to deceive ones self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/there-is-a-great-deal-of-wishful-thinking-in-such-cases-it-is-the/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) ## More by Demosthenes > [As a vessel is known by the sound, whether it be cracked or not; so men are proved, by their speeches, whether they be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/as-a-vessel-is-known-by-the-sound-whether-it-be-cracked-or-not-so-men/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/there-is-one-safeguard-known-generally-to-the-wise-which-is-an/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [Nothing is so easy as to deceive oneself; for what we wish, we readily believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-oneself-for-what-we-wish-we-readily/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [You cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man's actions are, such must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/you-cannot-have-a-proud-and-chivalrous-spirit-if-your-conduct-is-mean/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [Every advantage in the past is judged in the light of the final issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/every-advantage-in-the-past-is-judged-in-the-light-of-the-final-issue/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [By persistent labor man may attain to all excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/by-persistent-labor-man-may-attain-to-all-excellence/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [He who confers a favor should at once forget it, if he is not to show a sordid ungenerous spirit. To remind a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/he-who-confers-a-favor-should-at-once-forget-it-if-he-is-not-to-show/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [Since we are not yet fully comfortable with the idea that people from the next village are as human as ourselves, it is presumptuous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/since-we-are-not-yet-fully-comfortable-with-the-idea-that-people-from/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [“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/) > [Success has a great tendency to conceal and throw a veil over the evil deeds of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/success-has-a-great-tendency-to-conceal-and-throw-a-veil-over-the/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [I decline to buy repentance at the cost of ten thousand drachmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/i-decline-to-buy-repentance-at-the-cost-of-ten-thousand-drachmas/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [“Was man wünscht, das glaubt auch jeder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/was-man-w-nscht-das-glaubt-auch-jeder/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [It is impossible for men engaged in low and groveling pursuits to have noble and generous sentiments. A man's thought must always follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/it-is-impossible-for-men-engaged-in-low-and-groveling-pursuits-to/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [Close alliances with despots are never safe for free states.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/close-alliances-with-despots-are-never-safe-for-free-states/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [“I'll betide thee, say I, and may the Gods, or at least the Athenians, confound thee for a vile citizen and a vile third-rate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/i-ll-betide-thee-say-i-and-may-the-gods-or-at-least-the-athenians/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) [Explore all 59 Demosthenes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nothing is so easy as to deceive one's self; for what we wish, that we readily believe; but such expectations are often inconsistent with the real state of things.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Demosthenes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-one-s-self-for-what-we-wish-that-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-one-s-self-for-what-we-wish-that-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/736/demosthenes-11463_believe_nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-one-s-s_3017510.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/736/demosthenes-11463_believe_nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-one-s-s_3017510.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/736/demosthenes-11463_believe_nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-one-s-s_3017510.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nothing is so easy as to deceive one's self; for what we wish, that we readily believe; but such…” — Demosthenes", "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": "Demosthenes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Nothing is so easy as to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-one-s-self-for-what-we-wish-that-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/nothing-is-so-easy-as-to-deceive-one-s-self-for-what-we-wish-that-we/#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 } } ] } ```