--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Pretend to be good always and even God…" description: "\"Pretend to be good always and even God will be fooled.\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/kurt-vonnegut-41_be-good_pretend-to-be-good-always-and-even-god-w_2543952.jpg" --- # Pretend to be good always and even God will be fooled. ![“Pretend to be good always and even God will be fooled.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/kurt-vonnegut-41_be-good_pretend-to-be-good-always-and-even-god-w_2543952.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/kurt-vonnegut-41_be-good_pretend-to-be-good-always-and-even-god-w_2543952.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/kurt-vonnegut-41_be-good_pretend-to-be-good-always-and-even-god-w_2543952.jpg) > “Pretend to be good always and even God will be fooled.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests that pretending to be virtuous can deceive even divine judgment, highlighting hypocrisy **In simple terms:** Hypocrisy can fool even the highest authority Key Takeaway Avoid false virtue; be genuine Themes hypocrisy morality deception Mood critical reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal ethics - leadership - public speaking - social media Key Concepts ethical integrity authenticity Questions to Reflect On - When have you pretended to be good? - What are the costs of hypocrisy? A Different Perspective S may be hard to maintain consistently ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Gods will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods-will/) ## Related quotes > [Everyone was going to play their part honestly, and not try and pretend to be good or bad guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hopkins/everyone-was-going-to-play-their-part-honestly-and-not-try-and/) [Stephen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hopkins/) > [Pretend to be good is harder than pretending to be bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pretend-to-be-good-is-harder-than-pretending-to-be-bad/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I tried to take advantage of the fact that I was not used to making a movie. Movies are still so new to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joann-sfar/i-tried-to-take-advantage-of-the-fact-that-i-was-not-used-to-making-a/) [Joann Sfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joann-sfar/) > [For a long time, I felt that was actually the best I could ever hope for - to pretend to be a good person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-milch/for-a-long-time-i-felt-that-was-actually-the-best-i-could-ever-hope/) [David Milch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-milch/) > [I don't pretend I'm someone I'm not because I'm good at being me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-pretend-i-m-someone-i-m-not-because-i-m-good-at-being-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every time I get scared or feel like I'm not going to be good enough at something, I say that mantra to myself. "Pretend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-lawson/every-time-i-get-scared-or-feel-like-i-m-not-going-to-be-good-enough/) [Jenny Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-lawson/) > [I may not be the most beautiful, the sexiest, or the girl with a perfect body, But I don't pretend to be someone I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-may-not-be-the-most-beautiful-the-sexiest-or-the-girl-with-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I understand that what I do for a living is to play pretend and have a good time - so if I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myha-la/i-understand-that-what-i-do-for-a-living-is-to-play-pretend-and-have/) [Myha'la](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myha-la/) > [It's fun to pretend you're good at something you know you wouldn't be good at in real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/it-s-fun-to-pretend-you-re-good-at-something-you-know-you-wouldn-t-be/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I may not be the most beautiful girl or the one with a perfect body, but I dont pretend to be someone I'm not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cutsand-scars/i-may-not-be-the-most-beautiful-girl-or-the-one-with-a-perfect-body/) Cutsand Scars > [I might not be the most beautiful or the sexiest..nor do I have the perfect body. I might not be your first choice, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-might-not-be-the-most-beautiful-or-the-sexiest-nor-do-i-have-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you pretend to be good, the world takes you very seriously. If you pretend to be bad, it doesn't. Such is the astounding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-you-pretend-to-be-good-the-world-takes-you-very-seriously-if-you/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [No, it's not that they're bad. It's that they're obliged to pretend they're good. They've been brought up to deceive and be cunning, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-fuentes/no-it-s-not-that-they-re-bad-it-s-that-they-re-obliged-to-pretend/) [Carlos Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-fuentes/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [We must be careful about what we pretend to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/we-must-be-careful-about-what-we-pretend-to-be/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) Randy Anderson > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. He just has to be interesting, and he has to be good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chase/it-doesn-t-matter-if-your-lead-character-is-good-or-bad-he-just-has/) [David Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chase/) > [What's good for the very rich might not be good for anybody but them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/what-s-good-for-the-very-rich-might-not-be-good-for-anybody-but-them/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [“Living in the middle of beauty like this, we've no call to have puny ideas about God. Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Pretend to be good always and even God will be fooled.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/pretend-to-be-good-always-and-even-god-will-be-fooled/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/pretend-to-be-good-always-and-even-god-will-be-fooled/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/kurt-vonnegut-41_be-good_pretend-to-be-good-always-and-even-god-w_2543952.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/kurt-vonnegut-41_be-good_pretend-to-be-good-always-and-even-god-w_2543952.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/kurt-vonnegut-41_be-good_pretend-to-be-good-always-and-even-god-w_2543952.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Pretend to be good always and even God will be fooled.” — Kurt Vonnegut", "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": "Kurt Vonnegut", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Pretend to be good always and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/pretend-to-be-good-always-and-even-god-will-be-fooled/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/pretend-to-be-good-always-and-even-god-will-be-fooled/#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 } } ] } ```