--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People exaggerate the value of things…" description: "\"People exaggerate the value of things they haven't got everybody worships truth and unselfishness because they have no experience with them\" — George B..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/george-bernard-shaw-68_exaggerate_people-exaggerate-the-value-of-things-th_64876.png" --- # People exaggerate the value of things they haven't got… ![“People exaggerate the value of things they haven't got everybody worships truth and unselfishness because they have no experience with them” quote by George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/george-bernard-shaw-68_exaggerate_people-exaggerate-the-value-of-things-th_64876.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/george-bernard-shaw-68_exaggerate_people-exaggerate-the-value-of-things-th_64876.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/george-bernard-shaw-68_exaggerate_people-exaggerate-the-value-of-things-th_64876.png) > “People exaggerate the value of things they haven't got everybody worships truth and unselfishness because they have no experience with them” [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We overvalue unattained possessions and idealize virtues we have not practiced, revealing a bias toward the unknown. **In simple terms:** Idealization of the unknown. Key Takeaway Unrealistic admiration skews judgment. Themes psychology values perception bias virtue Mood reflective critical Type aphorism observation When to use this quote - marketing decisions - personal relationships - career choices - political rhetoric - ethical debates Key Concepts cognitive bias social influence self-awareness Practical Applications - product design - leadership training Questions to Reflect On - Why do we tend to romanticize what we lack? - How can we assess value more objectively? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Unselfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unselfishness/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [It's nonsense to say money doesn't buy happiness, but people exaggerate the extent to which more money can buy more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/it-s-nonsense-to-say-money-doesn-t-buy-happiness-but-people/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [I am not afraid that I shall exaggerate the value and significance of life, but that I shall not be up to the occasion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-that-i-shall-exaggerate-the-value-and-significance-of/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [People exaggerate their own skills. they are optimistic about their prospects and overconfident about their guesses, including which managers to pick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/people-exaggerate-their-own-skills-they-are-optimistic-about-their/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [People exaggerate their confidence in their plans - something we call the planning fallacy... The existence of the plan tends to induce overconfidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/people-exaggerate-their-confidence-in-their-plans-something-we-call/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“People lie. People exaggerate. They view the world through tainted glass, yet see themselves in a gilded mirror.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dalglish/people-lie-people-exaggerate-they-view-the-world-through-tainted/) [David Dalglish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dalglish/) > [“The idea of happiness is great but most people exaggerate the sense and accomplishments of happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ankit-samrat/the-idea-of-happiness-is-great-but-most-people-exaggerate-the-sense/) [Ankit Samrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ankit-samrat/) > [“Old people always exaggerate the danger and lawlessness of their youth, thought Cam, because their adult lives have become so boring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wunder/old-people-always-exaggerate-the-danger-and-lawlessness-of-their/) [Wendy Wunder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wunder/) > [“People sometimes exaggerate this business of humility. 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It seems that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-s-hawkins/the-principal-hindrance-to-the-advancement-of-the-kingdom-of-god-is/) [O. S. Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/o-s-hawkins/) > [“All I know is, unselfishness is the only moral principle," said Jessica Pratt, "the noblest principle and a sacred duty and much more important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/all-i-know-is-unselfishness-is-the-only-moral-principle-said-jessica/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [I did not believe him capable of love. That is an emotion in which tenderness is an essential part, but Strickland had no tenderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-did-not-believe-him-capable-of-love-that-is-an-emotion-in-which/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Perfect health, sincerity, honesty, straightforwardness, courage, disinterestedness, unselfishness, patience, endurance, perseverance, peace, calm, self control are all things that are taught infinitely better by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/perfect-health-sincerity-honesty-straightforwardness-courage/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [“Some of our friends are our friends only because we used to be friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-of-our-friends-are-our-friends-only-because-we-used-to-be-friends/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) ## More by George Bernard Shaw > [I love little children too but I don't cut off their heads and stick them in vases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-love-little-children-too-but-i-don-t-cut-off-their-heads-and-stick/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Blasphemy and sedition (meaning the truth about Church and State).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/blasphemy-and-sedition-meaning-the-truth-about-church-and-state/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of life, man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-life-man-invents-nothing-but-in-the-arts-of-death-he/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“My religious convictions and scientific views cannot at present be more specifically defined than as those of a believer in creative evolution. I desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/my-religious-convictions-and-scientific-views-cannot-at-present-be/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [What a man believes may be ascertained, not from his creed, but from the assumptions on which he habitually acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/what-a-man-believes-may-be-ascertained-not-from-his-creed-but-from/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [You are my inspiration and my folly. You are my light across the sea, my million nameless joys, and my day's wage. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-are-my-inspiration-and-my-folly-you-are-my-light-across-the-sea/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Men have to do some awfully mean things to keep up their respectability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/men-have-to-do-some-awfully-mean-things-to-keep-up-their/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/as-long-as-i-have-a-want-i-have-a-reason-for-living-satisfaction-is/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The camera can represent flesh so superbly that, if I dared, I would never photograph a figure without asking that figure to take its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-camera-can-represent-flesh-so-superbly-that-if-i-dared-i-would/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [A man who is not a communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still communist at the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-man-who-is-not-a-communist-at-the-age-of-twenty-is-a-fool-any-man/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [But to admire a strong person and to live under that strong person’s thumb are two different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/but-to-admire-a-strong-person-and-to-live-under-that-strong-person-s/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Socialism is the same as Communism, only better English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/socialism-is-the-same-as-communism-only-better-english/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The person who is ignorant enough to believe that his nourishment depends on meat is in a horrible dilemma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-person-who-is-ignorant-enough-to-believe-that-his-nourishment/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of peace Man is a bungler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-peace-man-is-a-bungler/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) [Explore all 1,640 George Bernard Shaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More Exaggerate quotes > [I don't exaggerate - I just remember big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chi-chi-rodriguez/i-don-t-exaggerate-i-just-remember-big/) [Chi Chi Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chi-chi-rodriguez/) > [We can exaggerate about many things; but we can never exaggerate our obligation to Jesus, or the compassionate abundance of the love of Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-william-faber/we-can-exaggerate-about-many-things-but-we-can-never-exaggerate-our/) [Frederick William Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-william-faber/) > [It's nonsense to say money doesn't buy happiness, but people exaggerate the extent to which more money can buy more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/it-s-nonsense-to-say-money-doesn-t-buy-happiness-but-people/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [All losers exaggerate because they want you to know how bad they feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-caro/all-losers-exaggerate-because-they-want-you-to-know-how-bad-they-feel/) [Mike Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-caro/) > [People in life, when they have a tendency to exaggerate or lie or whatever, you always sort of notice that their voice goes up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/people-in-life-when-they-have-a-tendency-to-exaggerate-or-lie-or/) [Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/) > [It has something to do with the facts and the law and who the judges are. So I think lawyers sometimes exaggerate their role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/it-has-something-to-do-with-the-facts-and-the-law-and-who-the-judges/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [We weaken what we exaggerate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-francois-de-la-harpe/we-weaken-what-we-exaggerate/) [Jean-Francois de La Harpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-francois-de-la-harpe/) > [“If you use the term 'over-exaggerate,' you know the definition neither of 'exaggerate' nor of 'over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-ulyate/if-you-use-the-term-over-exaggerate-you-know-the-definition-neither/) [Rodney Ulyate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-ulyate/) > [Do I exaggerate? Boy, do I, and I'd do it more if I could get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/do-i-exaggerate-boy-do-i-and-i-d-do-it-more-if-i-could-get-away-with/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [My name is Bruce Feiler, and I'm an explainaholic. I first heard this word used to describe Isaac Asimov, and I knew instantly that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-feiler/my-name-is-bruce-feiler-and-i-m-an-explainaholic-i-first-heard-this/) [Bruce Feiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-feiler/) > [my good qualities are under your protection, and you are to exaggerate them as much as possible; and, in return, it belongs to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/my-good-qualities-are-under-your-protection-and-you-are-to-exaggerate/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [I exaggerate when I’m angry, but I’ve never gone around telling people things that aren’t true about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-exaggerate-when-i-m-angry-but-i-ve-never-gone-around-telling-people/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [One of the things that I'm realizing is that in voice-over work, you have to actually do more work with your facial muscles and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-valley/one-of-the-things-that-i-m-realizing-is-that-in-voice-over-work-you/) [Mark Valley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-valley/) > [I don't think most men do hate women at all - I think most men are trying their best and facing a culturation into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/i-don-t-think-most-men-do-hate-women-at-all-i-think-most-men-are/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [It would be hard to exaggerate Ernest Hemingway's influence over American literature, but his influence on our lives is probably larger still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-phillips/it-would-be-hard-to-exaggerate-ernest-hemingway-s-influence-over/) [Arthur Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-phillips/) Browse all 102 Exaggerate quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People exaggerate the value of things they haven't got everybody worships truth and unselfishness because they have no experience with them", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Bernard Shaw" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/people-exaggerate-the-value-of-things-they-haven-t-got-everybody/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Exaggerate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/people-exaggerate-the-value-of-things-they-haven-t-got-everybody/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/george-bernard-shaw-68_exaggerate_people-exaggerate-the-value-of-things-th_64876.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/george-bernard-shaw-68_exaggerate_people-exaggerate-the-value-of-things-th_64876.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f99/george-bernard-shaw-68_exaggerate_people-exaggerate-the-value-of-things-th_64876.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People exaggerate the value of things they haven't got everybody worships truth and unselfishness because…” — George Bernard Shaw", "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": "George Bernard Shaw", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People exaggerate the value of things...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/people-exaggerate-the-value-of-things-they-haven-t-got-everybody/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/people-exaggerate-the-value-of-things-they-haven-t-got-everybody/#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 } } ] } ```