--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The facile delusions which conceal from…" description: "\"The facile delusions which conceal from us our true situation all amount to this: that we are, or can be, wiser than the wisest men of the past. We are..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/leo-strauss-12446_amount_the-facile-delusions-which-conceal-from_2754346.jpg" --- # The facile delusions which conceal from us our true… ![“The facile delusions which conceal from us our true situation all amount to this: that we are, or can be, wiser than the wisest men of the past. We are thus induced to play the part, not of attentive and docile listeners, but of impresarios and lion-tamers.” quote by Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/leo-strauss-12446_amount_the-facile-delusions-which-conceal-from_2754346.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/leo-strauss-12446_amount_the-facile-delusions-which-conceal-from_2754346.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/leo-strauss-12446_amount_the-facile-delusions-which-conceal-from_2754346.jpg) > “The facile delusions which conceal from us our true situation all amount to this: that we are, or can be, wiser than the wisest men of the past. We are thus induced to play the part, not of attentive and docile listeners, but of impresarios and lion-tamers.” [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We overestimate our own wisdom compared to past great minds, leading us to act arrogantly rather than listen. **In simple terms:** We think we’re smarter than the past, so we act boldly instead of listening. Key Takeaway Recognize humility and listen more. Themes hubris history humility Mood reflective critical cautious Type advice philosophical reflective When to use this quote - academic debates - political leadership - personal decision‑making - media commentary Key Concepts philosophy self‑deception intellectual arrogance Questions to Reflect On - How often do you assume you know better than past experts? - What can listening teach you that arrogance cannot? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can blind us to valuable lessons from history. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amount/) [Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) [Delusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusions/) [Delusions Conceal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusions-conceal-3122401/) [Docile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/docile/) [Facile Delusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facile-delusions-3122400/) [Lions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lions/) [Listeners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listeners/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wiser/) [Wiser Wisest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wiser-wisest-2202579/) [Wisest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisest/) [Wisest man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisest-man/) [Wisest Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisest-men-438505/) ## Related quotes > [Judgment of the people is often wiser than the wisest men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lajos-kossuth/judgment-of-the-people-is-often-wiser-than-the-wisest-men/) [Lajos Kossuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lajos-kossuth/) > [The greatest Clerkes be not the wisest men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-heywood/the-greatest-clerkes-be-not-the-wisest-men/) [John Heywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-heywood/) > [Any man will go considerably out of his way to pick up a silver dollar; but here are golden words, which the wisest men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/any-man-will-go-considerably-out-of-his-way-to-pick-up-a-silver/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The wisest men are wise to the full in death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-wisest-men-are-wise-to-the-full-in-death/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [The gretteste clerkes been noght wisest men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-chaucer/the-gretteste-clerkes-been-noght-wisest-men/) [Geoffrey Chaucer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-chaucer/) > [Jed Diamond is, quite simply, one of the wisest men writing today on the topic of male emotional and physical health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gurian/jed-diamond-is-quite-simply-one-of-the-wisest-men-writing-today-on/) [Michael Gurian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gurian/) > [The reading of books, what is it but conversing with the wisest men of all ages and all countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/the-reading-of-books-what-is-it-but-conversing-with-the-wisest-men-of/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.This was said by gene wilder ... what does it mean ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/a-little-nonsense-now-and-then-is-relished-by-the-wisest-men-this-was/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [Passion very often makes the wisest men fools, and very often too inspires the greatest fools with wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-very-often-makes-the-wisest-men-fools-and-very-often-too/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [If travel were so inspiring and informing a business ... then the wisest men in the world would be deck hands on tramp steamers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/if-travel-were-so-inspiring-and-informing-a-business-then-the-wisest/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [The public is wiser than the wisest critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bancroft/the-public-is-wiser-than-the-wisest-critic/) [George Bancroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bancroft/) > [The wisest men follow their own direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/the-wisest-men-follow-their-own-direction/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [The wisest of you men is he who has realized, like Socrates, that in respect of wisdom he is really worthless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-wisest-of-you-men-is-he-who-has-realized-like-socrates-that-in/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“The wisest men follow their own direction And listen to no prophet guiding them. 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