--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The cleverest trick of the Devil is that…" description: "\"The cleverest trick of the Devil is that nobody believes in him. It. Her. Well, we have been very stupid.\" — Doris Lessing" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/doris-lessing-501_believe_the-cleverest-trick-of-the-devil-is-that_2953987.png" --- # The cleverest trick of the Devil is that nobody believes… ![“The cleverest trick of the Devil is that nobody believes in him. It. Her. Well, we have been very stupid.” quote by Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/doris-lessing-501_believe_the-cleverest-trick-of-the-devil-is-that_2953987.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/doris-lessing-501_believe_the-cleverest-trick-of-the-devil-is-that_2953987.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/doris-lessing-501_believe_the-cleverest-trick-of-the-devil-is-that_2953987.png) > “The cleverest trick of the Devil is that nobody believes in him. It. Her. Well, we have been very stupid.” [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The devil’s greatest trick is that people refuse to believe in his existence, leading to collective foolishness. **In simple terms:** Belief in evil prevents complacency. Key Takeaway Acknowledge hidden threats. Themes belief evil complacency Mood critical alert Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - political analysis - social movements - personal vigilance Key Concepts psychology mythology critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - Why do we ignore uncomfortable truths? - How can awareness prevent manipulation? A Different Perspective Denial can be protective; confronting evil may cause panic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believes Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believes-stupid-1357196/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Devil Believes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil-believes-3711961/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid/) [Trick Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trick-devil-359278/) [Tricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tricks/) [Very stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-stupid/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [I have more respect for the devil than for some preachers I have met; the devil believes the Bible is the Word of God!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/i-have-more-respect-for-the-devil-than-for-some-preachers-i-have-met/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [Simply believing in the existence of God is not exactly what I would call a commitment. After all, even the devil believes that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-angelica/simply-believing-in-the-existence-of-god-is-not-exactly-what-i-would/) [Mother Angelica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-angelica/) > [The greatest trick the devil ever pulled is commiting that women look better in their makeup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macklemore/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-is-commiting-that-women-look/) [Macklemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macklemore/) > [The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was the quarter from behind the ear gag. He would never put the time in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gulman/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-the-quarter-from-behind/) [Gary Gulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gulman/) > [“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world it didn’t exist’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-robertson/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-it/) [Michael Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-robertson/) > [We live in a culture that has, for centuries now, cultivated the idea that the skeptical person is always smarter than one who believes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/we-live-in-a-culture-that-has-for-centuries-now-cultivated-the-idea/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [“We live in a culture that has, for centuries now, cultivated the idea that the skeptical person is always smarter than the one who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/we-live-in-a-culture-that-has-for-centuries-now-cultivated-the-idea-2/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [Instead of using this space to pretend the newly released CIA 'torture' report confirms that the United States is the most evil nation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-limbaugh/instead-of-using-this-space-to-pretend-the-newly-released-cia-torture/) [David Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-limbaugh/) > [“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he was evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-carver/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he-3/) [Edmund Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-carver/) > [With God, what is terrible is that one never knows whether it's not just a trick of the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/with-god-what-is-terrible-is-that-one-never-knows-whether-it-s-not/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [“I believe that the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-believe-that-the-greatest-trick-of-the-devil-is-not-to-get-us-into/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A wise man once said the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was to convince the world he was someone else…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-jace/a-wise-man-once-said-the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-to/) [Cameron Jace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-jace/) > [“BegulationywctioThe best trick the devil can perform is to trick you into thinking there is no devil; if there's no devil, then there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-rutkey/begulationywctiothe-best-trick-the-devil-can-perform-is-to-trick-you/) [C.S. Rutkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-rutkey/) ## More by Doris Lessing > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“In the morning, when she wishes me to wake, she crouches on my chest, and pats my face with her paw. Or, if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/in-the-morning-when-she-wishes-me-to-wake-she-crouches-on-my-chest/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [You know, whenever women make imaginary female kingdoms in literature, they are always very permissive, to use the jargon word, and easy and generous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/you-know-whenever-women-make-imaginary-female-kingdoms-in-literature/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [There is only one real sin and that is to persuade oneself that the second best is anything but second best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/there-is-only-one-real-sin-and-that-is-to-persuade-oneself-that-the/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“She was using the water as she had used the fruit earlier—to calm herself, to assure herself of the possibility of normality. 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I've been much happier unmarried than married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/i-do-not-think-that-marriage-is-one-of-my-talents-i-ve-been-much/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [I haven't got the energy to write now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/i-haven-t-got-the-energy-to-write-now/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [What really fascinates me is this need that is so strong now that if you read a work of the imagination you instantly have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/what-really-fascinates-me-is-this-need-that-is-so-strong-now-that-if/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“The charge that the United Nations are using bacteriological warfare in Korea cannot be dismissed merely because it would be insane.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/the-charge-that-the-united-nations-are-using-bacteriological-warfare/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [What I did have, which others perhaps didn't, was a capacity for sticking at it, which really is the point, not the talent at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/what-i-did-have-which-others-perhaps-didn-t-was-a-capacity-for/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [The human community is evolving... . We can survive anything you care to mention. We are supremely equipped to survive, to adapt and even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/the-human-community-is-evolving-we-can-survive-anything-you-care-to/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [So love is rest? The cosy corner? The little nook? Sometimes it ought to be. Sometimes it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/so-love-is-rest-the-cosy-corner-the-little-nook-sometimes-it-ought-to/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) [Explore all 508 Doris Lessing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) ## 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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