--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The false is nothing but an imitation of…" description: "\"The false is nothing but an imitation of the true.\" — Marcus Tullius Cicero" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_false_the-false-is-nothing-but-an-imitation-of_3226010.jpg" --- # The false is nothing but an imitation of the true. ![“The false is nothing but an imitation of the true.” quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_false_the-false-is-nothing-but-an-imitation-of_3226010.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_false_the-false-is-nothing-but-an-imitation-of_3226010.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_false_the-false-is-nothing-but-an-imitation-of_3226010.jpg) > “The false is nothing but an imitation of the true.” [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The false merely copies the true, lacking its substance and authenticity. **In simple terms:** Imitation lacks authenticity. Key Takeaway Seek truth, avoid mere copies. Themes truth authenticity illusion Mood critical analytical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - academic debate - media analysis - critical thinking - art criticism Key Concepts philosophy epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How can you verify authenticity? - What risks arise from accepting imitations? A Different Perspective Falsehoods can be persuasive, masking lack of substance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [False](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false/) [False Imitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-imitation-3826876/) [Imitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imitation/) [Imitation True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imitation-true-6083535/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“Silence is a false imitation of peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/silence-is-a-false-imitation-of-peace/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [In everything truth surpasses the imitation and copy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/in-everything-truth-surpasses-the-imitation-and-copy/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [It is not a virtue, but a deceptive copy and imitation of virtue, when we are led to the performance of duty by pleasure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/it-is-not-a-virtue-but-a-deceptive-copy-and-imitation-of-virtue-when/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [All literature, all philosophical treatises, all the voices of antiquity are full of examples for imitation, which would all lie unseen in darkness without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/all-literature-all-philosophical-treatises-all-the-voices-of/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [If we are true to ourselves, we can not be false to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/if-we-are-true-to-ourselves-we-can-not-be-false-to-anyone/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The first point of wisdom is to discern that which is false; the second, to know that which is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lactantius/the-first-point-of-wisdom-is-to-discern-that-which-is-false-the/) [Lactantius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lactantius/) > [What is true is true, and what is false is false...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-swedenborg/what-is-true-is-true-and-what-is-false-is-false/) [Emanuel Swedenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-swedenborg/) > [That preconceived notion of me being inaccurate is completely false, and I look forward to changing that over time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-allen/that-preconceived-notion-of-me-being-inaccurate-is-completely-false/) [Josh Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-allen/) > [I'm not leading them to some false God or something like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-m-not-leading-them-to-some-false-god-or-something-like-that/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [“Listen! The court jester's cap and bells. The King is coming!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ljupka-cvetanova/listen-the-court-jester-s-cap-and-bells-the-king-is-coming/) [Ljupka Cvetanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ljupka-cvetanova/) > [It is better to have no ideas than false ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/it-is-better-to-have-no-ideas-than-false-ones/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Don't pretend to be what you're not, instead, pretend to what you want to be, it is not pretence, it is a journey to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/don-t-pretend-to-be-what-you-re-not-instead-pretend-to-what-you-want/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Diffidence is a sort of false modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/diffidence-is-a-sort-of-false-modesty/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [The hypocrisy and false piety of the deniers aside, the relationships of gays have no effect on heteros. Especially all the heteros who've done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/the-hypocrisy-and-false-piety-of-the-deniers-aside-the-relationships/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Affection! Affection is false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/affection-affection-is-false/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) ## More by Marcus Tullius Cicero > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Let art, then, imitate nature, find what she desires, and follow as she directs. For in invention nature is never last, education never first;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/let-art-then-imitate-nature-find-what-she-desires-and-follow-as-she/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/gratitude-is-not-only-the-greatest-of-virtues-but-the-parent-of-all/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Things sacred should not only be touched with the hands, but unviolated in thought. \[Lat., Res sacros non modo manibus attingi, sed ne cogitatione…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/things-sacred-should-not-only-be-touched-with-the-hands-but/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Grief is not in the nature of things, but in opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/grief-is-not-in-the-nature-of-things-but-in-opinion/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Physicians, when the cause of disease is discovered, consider that the cure is discovered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/physicians-when-the-cause-of-disease-is-discovered-consider-that-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum. (Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/nihil-est-incertius-vulgo-nihil-obscurius-voluntate-hominum-nihil/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The foundations of justice are that on one shall suffer wrong; then, that the public good be promoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-foundations-of-justice-are-that-on-one-shall-suffer-wrong-then/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“The life of the dead is set in the memory of the living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-life-of-the-dead-is-set-in-the-memory-of-the-living/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Pardon is granted to necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/pardon-is-granted-to-necessity/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Friendship embraces innumerable ends; turn where you will it is ever at your side; no barrier shuts it out; it is never untimely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/friendship-embraces-innumerable-ends-turn-where-you-will-it-is-ever/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [History is the witness of the times, the light of truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, the messenger of antiquity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/history-is-the-witness-of-the-times-the-light-of-truth-the-life-of/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The Jews belong to a dark and repulsive force. One knows how numerous this clique is, how they stick together and what power they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-jews-belong-to-a-dark-and-repulsive-force-one-knows-how-numerous/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Nature has planted in our minds an insatiable longing to see the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/nature-has-planted-in-our-minds-an-insatiable-longing-to-see-the-truth/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) [Explore all 1,068 Marcus Tullius Cicero quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) ## More False quotes > [Affection! Affection is false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/affection-affection-is-false/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [The hypocrisy and false piety of the deniers aside, the relationships of gays have no effect on heteros. Especially all the heteros who've done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/the-hypocrisy-and-false-piety-of-the-deniers-aside-the-relationships/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Diffidence is a sort of false modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/diffidence-is-a-sort-of-false-modesty/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [“Don't pretend to be what you're not, instead, pretend to what you want to be, it is not pretence, it is a journey to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/don-t-pretend-to-be-what-you-re-not-instead-pretend-to-what-you-want/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [If we are true to ourselves, we can not be false to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/if-we-are-true-to-ourselves-we-can-not-be-false-to-anyone/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [It is better to have no ideas than false ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/it-is-better-to-have-no-ideas-than-false-ones/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Listen! The court jester's cap and bells. The King is coming!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ljupka-cvetanova/listen-the-court-jester-s-cap-and-bells-the-king-is-coming/) [Ljupka Cvetanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ljupka-cvetanova/) > [I'm not leading them to some false God or something like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-m-not-leading-them-to-some-false-god-or-something-like-that/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [What is true is true, and what is false is false...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-swedenborg/what-is-true-is-true-and-what-is-false-is-false/) [Emanuel Swedenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-swedenborg/) > [That preconceived notion of me being inaccurate is completely false, and I look forward to changing that over time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-allen/that-preconceived-notion-of-me-being-inaccurate-is-completely-false/) [Josh Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-allen/) > [There is no true life within a false life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-true-life-within-a-false-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [False praise is worse than no praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/false-praise-is-worse-than-no-praise/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [The word of God is complete, and those who don't preach the word in its fullness are false teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-johnson/the-word-of-god-is-complete-and-those-who-don-t-preach-the-word-in/) [Monica Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-johnson/) > [It is therefore utterly false to say that Marx revokes the law of value as far as individual commodities are concerned, and maintains it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-hiferding/it-is-therefore-utterly-false-to-say-that-marx-revokes-the-law-of/) [Rudolf Hiferding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-hiferding/) > [I could not tell Himmler everything because he was too false and two-faced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-schellenberg/i-could-not-tell-himmler-everything-because-he-was-too-false-and-two/) [Walter Schellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-schellenberg/) [Browse all 515 False quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The false is nothing but an imitation of the true.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marcus Tullius Cicero" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-false-is-nothing-but-an-imitation-of-the-true/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "False" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-false-is-nothing-but-an-imitation-of-the-true/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_false_the-false-is-nothing-but-an-imitation-of_3226010.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_false_the-false-is-nothing-but-an-imitation-of_3226010.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_false_the-false-is-nothing-but-an-imitation-of_3226010.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The false is nothing but an imitation of the true.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero", "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": "Marcus Tullius Cicero", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The false is nothing but an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-false-is-nothing-but-an-imitation-of-the-true/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-false-is-nothing-but-an-imitation-of-the-true/#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 } } ] } ```