---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is sometimes useful to pretend we are…"
description: "\"It is sometimes useful to pretend we are deceived, because when we show a deceiving man that we see through his artifices, we only encourage him to inc..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/161/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-d_anarchy_it-is-sometimes-useful-to-pretend-we-are_2785381.jpg"
---

#  It is sometimes useful to pretend we are deceived, because…

![“It is sometimes useful to pretend we are deceived, because when we show a deceiving man that we see through his artifices, we only encourage him to increase his deceptions.” quote by Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/161/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-d_anarchy_it-is-sometimes-useful-to-pretend-we-are_2785381.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/161/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-d_anarchy_it-is-sometimes-useful-to-pretend-we-are_2785381.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/161/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-d_anarchy_it-is-sometimes-useful-to-pretend-we-are_2785381.jpg)

> “It is sometimes useful to pretend we are deceived, because when we show a deceiving man that we see through his artifices, we only encourage him to increase his deceptions.”

[Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-de-sable/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Feigning ignorance can provoke a deceiver to intensify lies, so sometimes it’s safer to appear deceived.

**In simple terms:** Pretending to be fooled may backfire.

Key Takeaway

Avoid feeding deception.

Themes

deception strategy trust

Mood

cautious strategic

Type

letter philosophical

When to use this quote

- negotiations
- personal relationships
- political intrigue

Key Concepts

social manipulation psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- When is honesty better?
- How to detect true deception?

A Different Perspective

Risk of encouraging more deceit.

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[Anarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy/) [Artifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artifice/) [Deceived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceived/) [Deceiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceiving/) [Deceiving Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceiving-man-3341060/) [Deception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deception/) [Deceptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceptions/) [Heresy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heresy/) [Increase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increase/) [Increase Deceptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increase-deceptions-3341059/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pretend Deceived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretend-deceived-3341061/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/)

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