--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are eager to believe that others are…" description: "\"We are eager to believe that others are flawed because we are eager to believe in what we wish for.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_believe_we-are-eager-to-believe-that-others-are_837877.png" --- # We are eager to believe that others are flawed because we… ![“We are eager to believe that others are flawed because we are eager to believe in what we wish for.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_believe_we-are-eager-to-believe-that-others-are_837877.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_believe_we-are-eager-to-believe-that-others-are_837877.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_believe_we-are-eager-to-believe-that-others-are_837877.png) > “We are eager to believe that others are flawed because we are eager to believe in what we wish for.” [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We like to blame others’ flaws because it validates our own wishes and self‑image. **In simple terms:** Blaming others comforts us. Key Takeaway Question why you judge others. Themes self‑deception projection ego Mood reflective critical Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - teamwork - family dynamics - political discourse - personal growth Key Concepts psychology morality Questions to Reflect On - How often do you project your desires onto others? - What would change if you accepted your own flaws? A Different Perspective Self‑criticism is often avoided. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [True, most Americans give lip service to the proposition that even the most exalted among us have their flaws, but we are eager to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/true-most-americans-give-lip-service-to-the-proposition-that-even-the/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [“What is it in humans that makes us so eager to believe ill of one another? ... What makes us so hungry for it?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-doria-russell/what-is-it-in-humans-that-makes-us-so-eager-to-believe-ill-of-one/) [Mary Doria Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-doria-russell/) > [Since the masses are always eager to believe something, for their benefit nothing is so easy to arrange as facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-maurice-de-talleyrand/since-the-masses-are-always-eager-to-believe-something-for-their/) [Charles Maurice de Talleyrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-maurice-de-talleyrand/) > [“Dragons appear to those who believe, and only then if we wish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-hart/dragons-appear-to-those-who-believe-and-only-then-if-we-wish/) [Derek Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-hart/) > [“If I Believe in the Wish, I must believe I can loose it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/destin-bays/if-i-believe-in-the-wish-i-must-believe-i-can-loose-it/) [Destin Bays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/destin-bays/) > [“If we can still surmount what is natural and believe what we wish to believe, in spite of the force of evidence, then for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-perry/if-we-can-still-surmount-what-is-natural-and-believe-what-we-wish-to/) [Anne Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-perry/) > [What we need is not the will to believe, but the wish to find out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/what-we-need-is-not-the-will-to-believe-but-the-wish-to-find-out/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [“If I believe in the wish, I must believe I can lose it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/destin-bays/if-i-believe-in-the-wish-i-must-believe-i-can-lose-it/) [Destin Bays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/destin-bays/) > [I wish I could believe you. I wish I could forgive you. But if I did, that would just say that you have another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hope/i-wish-i-could-believe-you-i-wish-i-could-forgive-you-but-if-i-did/) [Amber Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hope/) > [Men are nearly always willing to believe what they wish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-caesar/men-are-nearly-always-willing-to-believe-what-they-wish/) [Julius Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-caesar/) > [Men willingly believe what they wish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-caesar/men-willingly-believe-what-they-wish/) [Julius Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-caesar/) > [“Believe me, I wish I could give you what you want. I have thought about it so many times, but I can't just do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-james/believe-me-i-wish-i-could-give-you-what-you-want-i-have-thought-about/) [Jayson James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-james/) > [With how much ease believe we what we wish!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/with-how-much-ease-believe-we-what-we-wish/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Men gladly believe what they wish. -Libenter homines id quod volunt credunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-caesar/men-gladly-believe-what-they-wish-libenter-homines-id-quod-volunt/) [Julius Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-caesar/) > [“No poet or novelist wishes he was the only one who ever lived, but most of them wish they were the only one alive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/no-poet-or-novelist-wishes-he-was-the-only-one-who-ever-lived-but/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) ## More by Francois de La Rochefoucauld > [Our own distrust gives a fair pretence for the knavery of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-own-distrust-gives-a-fair-pretence-for-the-knavery-of-other-people/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Behind many acts that are thought ridiculous there lie wise and weighty motives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/behind-many-acts-that-are-thought-ridiculous-there-lie-wise-and/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy; for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perseverance-is-neither-praiseworthy-nor-blameworthy-for-it-seems-to/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A woman is faithful to her first lover for a long time - unless she happens to take a second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/a-woman-is-faithful-to-her-first-lover-for-a-long-time-unless-she/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-almost-always-wearied-in-the-company-of-persons-with-whom-we/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The love of new acquaintance comes not so much from being weary of what we had before, or from any satisfaction there is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-love-of-new-acquaintance-comes-not-so-much-from-being-weary-of/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-intention-of-never-deceiving-often-exposes-us-to-deception/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-springs-more-from-love-of-self-than-from-love-of-another/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [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/) > [No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/no-persons-are-more-frequently-wrong-than-those-who-will-not-admit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy is always born with love, but does not die with it. In jealousy there is more of self-love than of love to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-is-always-born-with-love-but-does-not-die-with-it-in/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The greatest of all gifts is the power to estimate things at their true worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-greatest-of-all-gifts-is-the-power-to-estimate-things-at-their/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We have not strength enough to follow our reason so far as it would carry us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-have-not-strength-enough-to-follow-our-reason-so-far-as-it-would/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) [Explore all 1,134 Francois de La Rochefoucauld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. 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": "We are eager to believe that others are flawed because we are eager to believe in what we wish for.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-eager-to-believe-that-others-are-flawed-because-we-are-eager/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-eager-to-believe-that-others-are-flawed-because-we-are-eager/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_believe_we-are-eager-to-believe-that-others-are_837877.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_believe_we-are-eager-to-believe-that-others-are_837877.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_believe_we-are-eager-to-believe-that-others-are_837877.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are eager to believe that others are flawed because we are eager to believe in what we wish for.” — Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "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": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are eager to believe that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-eager-to-believe-that-others-are-flawed-because-we-are-eager/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-eager-to-believe-that-others-are-flawed-because-we-are-eager/#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 } } ] } ```