--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are tempted to live under the illusion…" description: "\"We are tempted to live under the illusion that somewhere out there are people who are normal.\" — John Ortberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/john-ortberg-932_illusion_we-are-tempted-to-live-under-the-illusio_2369742.png" --- # We are tempted to live under the illusion that somewhere… ![“We are tempted to live under the illusion that somewhere out there are people who are normal.” quote by John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/john-ortberg-932_illusion_we-are-tempted-to-live-under-the-illusio_2369742.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/john-ortberg-932_illusion_we-are-tempted-to-live-under-the-illusio_2369742.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/john-ortberg-932_illusion_we-are-tempted-to-live-under-the-illusio_2369742.png) > “We are tempted to live under the illusion that somewhere out there are people who are normal.” [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often imagine a distant, idealized normalcy, avoiding our own imperfections. **In simple terms:** We think others are normal while we hide flaws. Key Takeaway Accept your own quirks. Themes self‑acceptance perception social comparison Mood reflective hopeful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - relationships - mental health - team building Key Concepts psychology self‑esteem Questions to Reflect On - What does “normal” mean to you? - How can you embrace your uniqueness? A Different Perspective Normalcy is a social construct, not a fixed state. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Somewhere out there](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somewhere-out-there/) ## Related quotes > [“Lie really could be construed as the art of illusion by some people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-graham/lie-really-could-be-construed-as-the-art-of-illusion-by-some-people/) [Heather Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-graham/) > [If you want what NORMAL people have, do what normal people DO. If you want what FEW people have, do what few people DO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/if-you-want-what-normal-people-have-do-what-normal-people-do-if-you/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it's just an illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/writing-gives-you-the-illusion-of-control-and-then-you-realize-it-s/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [Like the actor, authority has faith in its false whiskers. But its deepest faith is in the human illusion. People will hang on to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hecht/like-the-actor-authority-has-faith-in-its-false-whiskers-but-its/) [Ben Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hecht/) > [“The movie is all illusion. How people wish things were.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-london/the-movie-is-all-illusion-how-people-wish-things-were/) [J.A. London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-london/) > [You must remember, my dear lady, the most important rule of any successful illusion: First, the people must want to believe in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/you-must-remember-my-dear-lady-the-most-important-rule-of-any/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [When you have examined all the illusions of life and know that there isn't any reality, but you nevertheless go on, then you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-young/when-you-have-examined-all-the-illusions-of-life-and-know-that-there/) [Marguerite Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-young/) > [Your Mission starts where you are,Not where you think you should be.Sometimes we're tempted to think that our current position/job/situation is a barrier to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/your-mission-starts-where-you-are-not-where-you-think-you-should-be/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [If we do not become changed from the inside-out - if we don't morph - we will be tempted to find external methods to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/if-we-do-not-become-changed-from-the-inside-out-if-we-don-t-morph-we/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“People who are normal (i.e., sane, sensible) don’t try to open lines of communication with total strangers by writing them a series of disjointed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/people-who-are-normal-i-e-sane-sensible-don-t-try-to-open-lines-of/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) > [I hope what people see in me is that I'm a normal guy, and that people who look as I do can do normal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moeen-ali/i-hope-what-people-see-in-me-is-that-i-m-a-normal-guy-and-that-people/) [Moeen Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moeen-ali/) > [“People move; this is normal and happens frequently, especially for a single 20-something. Sometimes you wonder why you self-imposed such a hard thing-but with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-protzman/people-move-this-is-normal-and-happens-frequently-especially-for-a/) Sarah Protzman > [“In today's world the society appears to be a deviant and all people normal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-abraham/in-today-s-world-the-society-appears-to-be-a-deviant-and-all-people/) [Amit Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-abraham/) > [Why do people have to be normal to be beautiful? This world is so small minded.Being different is beautiful too and some people have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewshycrazyness/why-do-people-have-to-be-normal-to-be-beautiful-this-world-is-so/) [EwshyCrazyness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewshycrazyness/) > [People who work make the world live better and to reward these people well is normal. Yet they are not the people who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/people-who-work-make-the-world-live-better-and-to-reward-these-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) ## More by John Ortberg > [“What do we do in the dark night? We do nothing. We wait. We remember that we are not God. We hold on. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/what-do-we-do-in-the-dark-night-we-do-nothing-we-wait-we-remember/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [If we are serious about loving God, we must begin with people, all people. And especially we must learn to love those that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/if-we-are-serious-about-loving-god-we-must-begin-with-people-all/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The greatest bloodbaths in the history of the human race were recorded in the twentieth century in countries that sought to eliminate God, worship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-greatest-bloodbaths-in-the-history-of-the-human-race-were/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [There is no way for a human being to come to God that does not involve surrender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/there-is-no-way-for-a-human-being-to-come-to-god-that-does-not/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Will you keep going when you don't know why? When you can't get any answers that would make the pain go away, will you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/will-you-keep-going-when-you-don-t-know-why-when-you-can-t-get-any/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Death is the prerequisite to resurrection, the new life God intends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/death-is-the-prerequisite-to-resurrection-the-new-life-god-intends/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [From ancient times, the core idea of the soul is the soul is the capacity to integrate different functions into a single being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/from-ancient-times-the-core-idea-of-the-soul-is-the-soul-is-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/hurry-is-the-great-enemy-of-spiritual-life-in-our-day-you-must/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [In reality, each thought we have carries with it a little spiritual power, a tug toward or away from God. No thought is purely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/in-reality-each-thought-we-have-carries-with-it-a-little-spiritual/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The miracle of Sunday is that a dead man lives. The miracle of Saturday is that the eternal Son of God lies dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-miracle-of-sunday-is-that-a-dead-man-lives-the-miracle-of/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“The most important thing about you,” Dallas would often say, “is not the things that you achieve; it is the person that you become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-most-important-thing-about-you-dallas-would-often-say-is-not-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Jesus had a universal concern for those who suffered that transcended the rules of the ancient world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/jesus-had-a-universal-concern-for-those-who-suffered-that-transcended/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [God is a God of endless opportunities to do good; the God of the open door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/god-is-a-god-of-endless-opportunities-to-do-good-the-god-of-the-open/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [One of the most painful aspects of suffering is the loneliness of it. Others may offer support or empathy, but no one can walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/one-of-the-most-painful-aspects-of-suffering-is-the-loneliness-of-it/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) [Explore all 325 John Ortberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## More Illusion quotes > [A garden has a curious innocent way of consuming cash while all the time you are under the illusion that you are spending nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-meynell/a-garden-has-a-curious-innocent-way-of-consuming-cash-while-all-the/) [Esther Meynell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-meynell/) > [Even mud gives the illusion of depth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/even-mud-gives-the-illusion-of-depth/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The fog of illusion, the fog of confusion is hanging all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/the-fog-of-illusion-the-fog-of-confusion-is-hanging-all-over-the-world/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [Knowing does not always allow us to prevent, but at least the things that we know, we hold them, if not in our hands,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/knowing-does-not-always-allow-us-to-prevent-but-at-least-the-things/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Without illusions. I love you because you are fallible and because your poor misguided testosterone-corrupted brain has you doing cartwheels trying not to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/without-illusions-i-love-you-because-you-are-fallible-and-because/) [Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/) > [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [We are eternal. All this pain is an illusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/we-are-eternal-all-this-pain-is-an-illusion/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [How could they say that they truly loved each other? They had simply grown up together, been children together, and the proximity of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/how-could-they-say-that-they-truly-loved-each-other-they-had-simply/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/life-and-death-are-illusions-we-are-in-a-constant-state-of/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [Fortunately, the mind is restless; when it uncovers a layer of its own deception, gives up an illusion, exposes a lie, it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-chernin/fortunately-the-mind-is-restless-when-it-uncovers-a-layer-of-its-own/) [Kim Chernin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-chernin/) > [I've always said that I benefit, as an actor, from not having the illusion of security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sparks/i-ve-always-said-that-i-benefit-as-an-actor-from-not-having-the/) [Hal Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sparks/) > [Things aren't always as they appear. I've been believing things to be a certain way because I want them to be that way. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-dennen/things-aren-t-always-as-they-appear-i-ve-been-believing-things-to-be/) [Brett Dennen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-dennen/) > [Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/your-problem-is-how-you-are-going-to-spend-this-one-odd-and-precious/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) [Browse all 3,604 Illusion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are tempted to live under the illusion that somewhere out there are people who are normal.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ortberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/we-are-tempted-to-live-under-the-illusion-that-somewhere-out-there/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Illusion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/we-are-tempted-to-live-under-the-illusion-that-somewhere-out-there/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/john-ortberg-932_illusion_we-are-tempted-to-live-under-the-illusio_2369742.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/john-ortberg-932_illusion_we-are-tempted-to-live-under-the-illusio_2369742.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/john-ortberg-932_illusion_we-are-tempted-to-live-under-the-illusio_2369742.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are tempted to live under the illusion that somewhere out there are people who are normal.” — John Ortberg", "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": "John Ortberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are tempted to live under...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/we-are-tempted-to-live-under-the-illusion-that-somewhere-out-there/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/we-are-tempted-to-live-under-the-illusion-that-somewhere-out-there/#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 } } ] } ```