--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People prefer to believe what they want…" description: "\"People prefer to believe what they want to be true.\" — Francis Bacon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52f/francis-bacon-297_being-true_people-prefer-to-believe-what-they-want_1854107.jpg" --- # People prefer to believe what they want to be true. ![“People prefer to believe what they want to be true.” quote by Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52f/francis-bacon-297_being-true_people-prefer-to-believe-what-they-want_1854107.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52f/francis-bacon-297_being-true_people-prefer-to-believe-what-they-want_1854107.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52f/francis-bacon-297_being-true_people-prefer-to-believe-what-they-want_1854107.jpg) > “People prefer to believe what they want to be true.” [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People tend to accept beliefs that align with desires, often ignoring contradictory evidence. **In simple terms:** Desire shapes belief. Key Takeaway Question assumptions and seek evidence. Themes cognition bias truth Mood skeptical inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - critical thinking workshops - media literacy - decision making - scientific research Key Concepts Psychology Epistemology Questions to Reflect On - Why do we favor comforting falsehoods? - How can we train ourselves to accept uncomfortable truths? A Different Perspective May underestimate rational persuasion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [“People prefer to believe in a lie or a dream and do not like the people who wake them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-treloar/people-prefer-to-believe-in-a-lie-or-a-dream-and-do-not-like-the/) Lucy Treloar > [“The world is full of people who believe what they want to be true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-salerni/the-world-is-full-of-people-who-believe-what-they-want-to-be-true/) [Dianne Salerni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-salerni/) > [Men are quick to believe what they want to be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-ceasar/men-are-quick-to-believe-what-they-want-to-be-true/) Julius Ceasar > [I want to be true to who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/i-want-to-be-true-to-who-i-am/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [If you want to assert a truth, first make sure it's not just an opinion that you desperately want to be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/if-you-want-to-assert-a-truth-first-make-sure-it-s-not-just-an/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The easiest lies to tell are the ones you want to be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/the-easiest-lies-to-tell-are-the-ones-you-want-to-be-true/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“I prefer to believe in things which obviously exist, even though I cannot explain them. It is the humbler and, I think, the wiser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-prefer-to-believe-in-things-which-obviously-exist-even-though-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I prefer to believe that people are good and honest and respect me enough to tell me the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhiess-krieg/i-prefer-to-believe-that-people-are-good-and-honest-and-respect-me-2/) [Jhiess Krieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhiess-krieg/) > [I always prefer to believe in the best of everybody - it saves so much trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/i-always-prefer-to-believe-in-the-best-of-everybody-it-saves-so-much/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [I prefer to believe it's my responsibility if a film of mine works or doesn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahesh-babu/i-prefer-to-believe-it-s-my-responsibility-if-a-film-of-mine-works-or/) [Mahesh Babu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahesh-babu/) > [The truth doesn't always set you free; people prefer to believe prettier, neatly wrapped lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/the-truth-doesn-t-always-set-you-free-people-prefer-to-believe-2/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [The truth doesn't always set you free; people prefer to believe prettier, neatley wrapped lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-truth-doesn-t-always-set-you-free-people-prefer-to-believe/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“My personal savior is common sense. 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