--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When someone is pretending to be…" description: "\"“When someone is pretending to be something, or hiding who they are or what they believe, they're really more...protecting themselves.”\" — Kelsey Sutton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/kelsey-sutton-17147_faith_when-someone-is-pretending-to-be-somethi_1405145.jpg" --- # When someone is pretending to be something, or hiding who… ![“When someone is pretending to be something, or hiding who they are or what they believe, they're really more...protecting themselves.” quote by Kelsey Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/kelsey-sutton-17147_faith_when-someone-is-pretending-to-be-somethi_1405145.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/kelsey-sutton-17147_faith_when-someone-is-pretending-to-be-somethi_1405145.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/kelsey-sutton-17147_faith_when-someone-is-pretending-to-be-somethi_1405145.jpg) > ““When someone is pretending to be something, or hiding who they are or what they believe, they're really more...protecting themselves.”” [Kelsey Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-sutton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often hide their true selves to protect against judgment, which can lead to inauthentic behavior. **In simple terms:** Hiding identity is a self‑protective defense. Key Takeaway Encourage authenticity and safe spaces for expression. Themes identity authenticity psychology Mood empathetic thoughtful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - workplace culture - online communities Key Concepts self‑protection social conformity Questions to Reflect On - What environments make you feel safe to be yourself? - How can you support others in revealing their true selves? A Different Perspective Being authentic can expose vulnerability and risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Hiding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hiding/) [Hiding Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hiding-believe-1232737/) [Pretending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending/) [Pretending Hiding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending-hiding-3890641/) [Protecting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protecting/) ## Related quotes > [It's a lie, you know, to pretend that nothing is important to you. It's hiding. Believe me, I know because I hid for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-wittlinger/it-s-a-lie-you-know-to-pretend-that-nothing-is-important-to-you-it-s/) [Ellen Wittlinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-wittlinger/) > [“Why couldn’t people just be who they were? Womanizers, drinkers, liars, and manipulators, instead of pretending around it all, hiding the secrets like dirty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-campisi/why-couldn-t-people-just-be-who-they-were-womanizers-drinkers-liars/) [Mary Campisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-campisi/) > [“Love left us long back, we just got better. You at pretending, Me at hiding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjum-choudhary/love-left-us-long-back-we-just-got-better-you-at-pretending-me-at/) [Anjum Choudhary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjum-choudhary/) > [The terrible immoralities are the cunning ones hiding behind masks of morality, such as exploiting people while pretending to help them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-terrible-immoralities-are-the-cunning-ones-hiding-behind-masks-of/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [I learned that pretending you don't have feelings makes you feel unhappy and unfulfilled and, ultimately, is what really makes you vulnerable because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-oz/i-learned-that-pretending-you-don-t-have-feelings-makes-you-feel/) [Daphne Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-oz/) > [You can relax more when you're playing a silly character than when you're playing a really rigid character. But to be fair, I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kendrick/you-can-relax-more-when-you-re-playing-a-silly-character-than-when/) [Anna Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kendrick/) > [I don’t like doing interviews. I’m not pretending to be some super neurotic, hiding in my closet. I could care less about anybody knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-leto/i-don-t-like-doing-interviews-i-m-not-pretending-to-be-some-super/) [Jared Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-leto/) > [When you've been hiding your feelings for so long and pretending everything is okay, it just becomes second nature to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-ve-been-hiding-your-feelings-for-so-long-and-pretending/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I care about the people saying they're protecting us not protecting us. That's a big zero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boosie/i-care-about-the-people-saying-they-re-protecting-us-not-protecting/) [Boosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boosie/) > [Protecting the rights of service members was an important part of my work as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/protecting-the-rights-of-service-members-was-an-important-part-of-my/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [Protecting our planet is a moral imperative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/protecting-our-planet-is-a-moral-imperative/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [The one person my heart needs protecting from is the only person trying to protect it. Who's going to stop YOU from hurting me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/universalclockwork/the-one-person-my-heart-needs-protecting-from-is-the-only-person/) [UniversalClockwork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/universalclockwork/) > [The thing about gay people is that until we come out of the closet, we're always protecting other people: 'I can't do this, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/the-thing-about-gay-people-is-that-until-we-come-out-of-the-closet-we/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) > [Be ruthless about protecting writing days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/be-ruthless-about-protecting-writing-days/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I've said before, the number one thing that we have to work on is protecting the gay community from sharia law. Now, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foster-friess/i-ve-said-before-the-number-one-thing-that-we-have-to-work-on-is/) [Foster Friess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foster-friess/) ## More by Kelsey Sutton > [“This is humanity. This is life and death in one room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-sutton/this-is-humanity-this-is-life-and-death-in-one-room/) [Kelsey Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-sutton/) > [“If you get killed, I swear I’ll bring you back from the dead just to kill you again myself!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-sutton/if-you-get-killed-i-swear-i-ll-bring-you-back-from-the-dead-just-to/) [Kelsey Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-sutton/) > [“You asked me once if I ever get tired of being who I am,” he reminds me. “And the answer is this: only when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-sutton/you-asked-me-once-if-i-ever-get-tired-of-being-who-i-am-he-reminds-me/) [Kelsey Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-sutton/) > [“With the taste of rum in my mouth and the sting of remembrance in my heart, I set my sights on the man who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-sutton/with-the-taste-of-rum-in-my-mouth-and-the-sting-of-remembrance-in-my/) [Kelsey Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-sutton/) > [“Humans are cruel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-sutton/humans-are-cruel/) [Kelsey Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-sutton/) > [“Even though it can be hopeless, or unhealthy, or just stupid, we love anyway. 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Why is it he that pounded a hole through the wall?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-sutton/you-can-t-love-him-he-whispers-i-ve-waited-so-long-why-the-boy-why-is/) [Kelsey Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-sutton/) > [“Something dark moves out of the corner of my eye, and the room chills. When I glance over, I see Death, watching us patiently.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-sutton/something-dark-moves-out-of-the-corner-of-my-eye-and-the-room-chills/) [Kelsey Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-sutton/) [Explore all 38 Kelsey Sutton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-sutton/) ## More Faith quotes > [“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/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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