--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes we are less unhappy in being…" description: "\"“Sometimes we are less unhappy in being deceived by those we love, than in being undecieved by them.”\" — Francois La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_clockwork-angel_sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-d_1025554.jpg" --- # Sometimes we are less unhappy in being deceived by those… ![“Sometimes we are less unhappy in being deceived by those we love, than in being undecieved by them.” quote by Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_clockwork-angel_sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-d_1025554.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_clockwork-angel_sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-d_1025554.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_clockwork-angel_sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-d_1025554.jpg) > ““Sometimes we are less unhappy in being deceived by those we love, than in being undecieved by them.”” [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-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. Deception by loved ones can feel less painful than realizing they never truly cared, highlighting the paradox of emotional hurt. **In simple terms:** Being deceived can sometimes hurt less than being ignored. Key Takeaway Recognize and address hidden emotional wounds. Themes trust love betrayal self‑awareness Mood conflicted reflective Type philosophical emotional When to use this quote - relationships - family dynamics - personal reflection - therapy Key Concepts human nature psychology emotional paradox Questions to Reflect On - Do you prefer painful truth or comforting illusion? - How does this shape your trust? A Different Perspective Pain may persist even after the truth is known. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clockwork angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clockwork-angel/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes we are less unhappy in being deceived by those we love, than in being undeceived by them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-deceived-by-those-we-love-than/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [“Has anything deceived you about me, that your love is killing me, And that verily as often as you order my heart, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imru-al-qays/has-anything-deceived-you-about-me-that-your-love-is-killing-me-and/) [Imru al-Qays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imru-al-qays/) > [“Such harsh truths so early in the morning cannot be good for digestion." - Will Herondale”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/such-harsh-truths-so-early-in-the-morning-cannot-be-good-for/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Never trust a duck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/never-trust-a-duck/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [She had fallen asleep with her head on his arm, the clockwork angel, still around her throat, resting against his shoulder just to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/she-had-fallen-asleep-with-her-head-on-his-arm-the-clockwork-angel/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [A sort of good-bye without saying good-bye," he said. "It is a reference to a passage in the Bible. 'And Mizpah, for he said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/a-sort-of-good-bye-without-saying-good-bye-he-said-it-is-a-reference/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [It is the mundanes who look at me and see something they do not understand—a boy who is not quite white and not quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/it-is-the-mundanes-who-look-at-me-and-see-something-they-do-not/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“He was all silver and ashes, not like Will's strong colors of blue and black and gold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/he-was-all-silver-and-ashes-not-like-will-s-strong-colors-of-blue-and/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [One must always be careful of books,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/one-must-always-be-careful-of-books/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Sometimes, when I have to do something I don't want to do, I pretend I'm a character from a book. It's easier to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/sometimes-when-i-have-to-do-something-i-don-t-want-to-do-i-pretend-i/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [It's all right to love someone who doesn't love you back, as long as they're worth you loving them. As long as they deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/it-s-all-right-to-love-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back-as-long-as/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Whatever you are physically,' he said, 'Male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy -- all those things matter less than what your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/whatever-you-are-physically-he-said-male-or-female-strong-or-weak-ill/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Your angel cannot protect you against that which neither god nor the devil had made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/your-angel-cannot-protect-you-against-that-which-neither-god-nor-the/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Do you think Charlotte will let me handle the investigation?" "Do you think you can be trusted in Downworld? The gaming hells, the dens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/do-you-think-charlotte-will-let-me-handle-the-investigation-do-you/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Jessamine recoiled from the paper as if it were a snake. "A lady does not read the newspaper. The society pages, perhaps, or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/jessamine-recoiled-from-the-paper-as-if-it-were-a-snake-a-lady-does/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## More by Francois La Rochefoucauld > [If we are to judge of love by the consequences, it more nearly resembles hatred than friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/if-we-are-to-judge-of-love-by-the-consequences-it-more-nearly/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The world more often rewards the appearance of merit than merit itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/the-world-more-often-rewards-the-appearance-of-merit-than-merit-itself/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The mind cannot long act the role of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/the-mind-cannot-long-act-the-role-of-the-heart/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The pleasure of love is in loving. We are much happier in the passion we feel than in that we inspire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/the-pleasure-of-love-is-in-loving-we-are-much-happier-in-the-passion/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [If we judge of love by its usual effects, it resembles hatred more than friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/if-we-judge-of-love-by-its-usual-effects-it-resembles-hatred-more/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [When our vices quit us, we flatter ourselves with the belief that it is we who quit them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/when-our-vices-quit-us-we-flatter-ourselves-with-the-belief-that-it/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Little minds are too much hurt by little things; great minds are quite conscious of them and despise them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little-things-great-minds-are-quite/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Age is a tyrant who forbids at the penalty of life all the pleasures of youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/age-is-a-tyrant-who-forbids-at-the-penalty-of-life-all-the-pleasures/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Absence diminishes little passions and increases great ones, as wind extinguishes candles and fans a fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/absence-diminishes-little-passions-and-increases-great-ones-as-wind/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [In their first passion women love their lovers, in all the others they love love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/in-their-first-passion-women-love-their-lovers-in-all-the-others-they/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Fertility of mind does not furnish us with so many resources on the same matter, as the lack of intelligence makes us hesitate at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/fertility-of-mind-does-not-furnish-us-with-so-many-resources-on-the/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“On n'est jamais si heureux ni si malheureux qu'on s'imagine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/on-n-est-jamais-si-heureux-ni-si-malheureux-qu-on-s-imagine/) [François La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We often pass from love to ambition, but we hardly ever return from ambition to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/we-often-pass-from-love-to-ambition-but-we-hardly-ever-return-from/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Few persons have sufficient wisdom to prefer censure, which is useful, to praise which deceives them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/few-persons-have-sufficient-wisdom-to-prefer-censure-which-is-useful/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Women who love, pardon more readily great indiscretions than little infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/women-who-love-pardon-more-readily-great-indiscretions-than-little/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) [Explore all 40 Francois La Rochefoucauld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More Clockwork angel quotes > [One must always be careful of books,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/one-must-always-be-careful-of-books/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Do you think Charlotte will let me handle the investigation?" "Do you think you can be trusted in Downworld? The gaming hells, the dens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/do-you-think-charlotte-will-let-me-handle-the-investigation-do-you/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Your angel cannot protect you against that which neither god nor the devil had made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/your-angel-cannot-protect-you-against-that-which-neither-god-nor-the/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Whatever you are physically,' he said, 'Male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy -- all those things matter less than what your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/whatever-you-are-physically-he-said-male-or-female-strong-or-weak-ill/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [It's all right to love someone who doesn't love you back, as long as they're worth you loving them. As long as they deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/it-s-all-right-to-love-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back-as-long-as/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Sometimes, when I have to do something I don't want to do, I pretend I'm a character from a book. It's easier to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/sometimes-when-i-have-to-do-something-i-don-t-want-to-do-i-pretend-i/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“He was all silver and ashes, not like Will's strong colors of blue and black and gold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/he-was-all-silver-and-ashes-not-like-will-s-strong-colors-of-blue-and/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [It is the mundanes who look at me and see something they do not understand—a boy who is not quite white and not quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/it-is-the-mundanes-who-look-at-me-and-see-something-they-do-not/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [A sort of good-bye without saying good-bye," he said. "It is a reference to a passage in the Bible. 'And Mizpah, for he said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/a-sort-of-good-bye-without-saying-good-bye-he-said-it-is-a-reference/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [She had fallen asleep with her head on his arm, the clockwork angel, still around her throat, resting against his shoulder just to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/she-had-fallen-asleep-with-her-head-on-his-arm-the-clockwork-angel/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Never trust a duck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/never-trust-a-duck/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Such harsh truths so early in the morning cannot be good for digestion." - Will Herondale”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/such-harsh-truths-so-early-in-the-morning-cannot-be-good-for/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Jessamine recoiled from the paper as if it were a snake. "A lady does not read the newspaper. The society pages, perhaps, or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/jessamine-recoiled-from-the-paper-as-if-it-were-a-snake-a-lady-does/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck.- William Herondale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/bloodthirsty-little-beasts-never-trust-a-duck-william-herondale/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Will bounded up onto one of the ladders and yanked a book off the shelf. "I'll find you something else to read. Catch." He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/will-bounded-up-onto-one-of-the-ladders-and-yanked-a-book-off-the/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) [Browse all 38 Clockwork angel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clockwork-angel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sometimes we are less unhappy in being deceived by those we love, than in being undecieved by them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-deceived-by-those-we-love-than-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clockwork angel" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-deceived-by-those-we-love-than-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_clockwork-angel_sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-d_1025554.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_clockwork-angel_sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-d_1025554.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4e/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_clockwork-angel_sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-d_1025554.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes we are less unhappy in being deceived by those we love, than in being undecieved by them.” — Francois 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 La Rochefoucauld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Sometimes we are less unhappy in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-deceived-by-those-we-love-than-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-deceived-by-those-we-love-than-2/#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 } } ] } ```