---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yet no one seemed to have thought through…"
description: "\"“Yet no one seemed to have thought through the implications of a world in which everyone cheated. The other morning Keith had bought five hundred vanit..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f2/martin-amis-704_quote_yet-no-one-seemed-to-have-thought-throug_1186836.jpg"
---

#  Yet no one seemed to have thought through the implications…

![“Yet no one seemed to have thought through the implications of a world in which everyone cheated. The other morning Keith had bought five hundred vanity sachets of Outrage, his staple perfume. At lunchtime he discovered that they all contained water, a substance not much less expensive than…” quote by Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f2/martin-amis-704_quote_yet-no-one-seemed-to-have-thought-throug_1186836.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f2/martin-amis-704_quote_yet-no-one-seemed-to-have-thought-throug_1186836.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f2/martin-amis-704_quote_yet-no-one-seemed-to-have-thought-throug_1186836.jpg)

> ““Yet no one seemed to have thought through the implications of a world in which everyone cheated. The other morning Keith had bought five hundred vanity sachets of Outrage, his staple perfume. At lunchtime he discovered that they all contained water, a substance not much less expensive than Outrage, but harder to sell. Keith was relieved that he had already unloaded half the consignment on Damian Noble in the Portobello Road. Then he held Damian's tenners up to the light: they were crude forgeries. He passed on the notes without much trouble, in return for twenty-four bottles of vodka which, it turned out, contained a misty, faintly scented liquid. Outrage!””

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

## About This Quote

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

A world where cheating is normalized leads to absurdities and hidden costs, exposing moral decay.

**In simple terms:** Cheating becomes ordinary, causing chaos.

Key Takeaway

Question the ethics of widespread cheating.

Themes

ethics deception consequence society

Mood

cynical critical

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- business negotiations
- personal relationships
- legal systems

Key Concepts

moral philosophy social critique

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives people to cheat?
- Can a cheating culture be reformed?

A Different Perspective

Not all cheating is obvious; some may be justified.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Crude Forgeries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crude-forgeries-3505118/) [Keith Bought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keith-bought-3505119/) [Liquid Outrage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liquid-outrage-3505117/) [Outrage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outrage/) [World Cheated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-cheated-2082425/)

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> [“Men are such cowards. They outrage every law of the world, and are afraid of the world’s tongue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-are-such-cowards-they-outrage-every-law-of-the-world-and-are/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [My friends on Twitter didn't abandon their beliefs or their principles - only their scorn. They channeled their infinitely justifiable offense and came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/my-friends-on-twitter-didn-t-abandon-their-beliefs-or-their/)

[Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/)

> [I think it's sort of an outrage that companies should have to hire firms to teach the college graduates they employ how to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-bok/i-think-it-s-sort-of-an-outrage-that-companies-should-have-to-hire/)

[Derek Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-bok/)

> [While the principles of our Constitution give just latitude to inquiry, every citizen faithful to it will deem embodied expressions of discontent and open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/while-the-principles-of-our-constitution-give-just-latitude-to/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [“I firmly believe that if we can all approach this topic with open minds, the inevitable result will be a level of outrage that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/i-firmly-believe-that-if-we-can-all-approach-this-topic-with-open/)

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> [“A part of a healthy conscience is being able to confront consciencelessness. When you teach your daughter, explicitly or by passive rejection, that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/a-part-of-a-healthy-conscience-is-being-able-to-confront/)

[Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/)

> [Fear is often disguised as moral outrage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/fear-is-often-disguised-as-moral-outrage/)

[Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/)

> [There’s my baby!” I cried, quite carried away. “There’s my Poochiekins!” Ammit ran at me and leaped into my arms, nuzzling me with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/there-s-my-baby-i-cried-quite-carried-away-there-s-my-poochiekins/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [The president we have today is a typical Washington politician that's prone to hyperbole and decisiveness and false outrage. And I think it's very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-president-we-have-today-is-a-typical-washington-politician-that-s/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

## More by Martin Amis

> [“Yeah,' I said and started smoking another cigarette. Unless I inform you otherwise, I'm always smoking another cigarette.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/yeah-i-said-and-started-smoking-another-cigarette-unless-i-inform-you/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [“barrios; each barrio has two or three gangs, and all the gangs are theoretically”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/barrios-each-barrio-has-two-or-three-gangs-and-all-the-gangs-are/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [I'm not interested in making a diagnostic novel or a concern. I'm 100 percent committed in fiction to the pleasure principle - that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-m-not-interested-in-making-a-diagnostic-novel-or-a-concern-i-m-100/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [“If we all downed tools and joined hands for ten minutes and stopped believing in money, then money would no longer exist. We never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/if-we-all-downed-tools-and-joined-hands-for-ten-minutes-and-stopped/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [When I see a lot of young faces in the audience, it's just sort of sinking in how important that is. Because you're old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/when-i-see-a-lot-of-young-faces-in-the-audience-it-s-just-sort-of/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [“I was informed by my viscera that now was the time to put my arm around her shoulders. I ignored them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-was-informed-by-my-viscera-that-now-was-the-time-to-put-my-arm/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [You use a different part of your heart with girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/you-use-a-different-part-of-your-heart-with-girls/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

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[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [Each life is a game of chess that went to hell on the seventh move(...)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/each-life-is-a-game-of-chess-that-went-to-hell-on-the-seventh-move/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

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[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

[Explore all 393 Martin Amis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

## More Outrage quotes

> [The president we have today is a typical Washington politician that's prone to hyperbole and decisiveness and false outrage. And I think it's very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-president-we-have-today-is-a-typical-washington-politician-that-s/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [There’s my baby!” I cried, quite carried away. “There’s my Poochiekins!” Ammit ran at me and leaped into my arms, nuzzling me with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/there-s-my-baby-i-cried-quite-carried-away-there-s-my-poochiekins/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [Fear is often disguised as moral outrage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/fear-is-often-disguised-as-moral-outrage/)

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> [“I firmly believe that if we can all approach this topic with open minds, the inevitable result will be a level of outrage that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/i-firmly-believe-that-if-we-can-all-approach-this-topic-with-open/)

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> [I think it's sort of an outrage that companies should have to hire firms to teach the college graduates they employ how to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-bok/i-think-it-s-sort-of-an-outrage-that-companies-should-have-to-hire/)

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[Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/)

> [“Men are such cowards. They outrage every law of the world, and are afraid of the world’s tongue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-are-such-cowards-they-outrage-every-law-of-the-world-and-are/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Monarchs not only fashion their age, but are fashioned by it, so that they can become a sort of personification of the age. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-figes/monarchs-not-only-fashion-their-age-but-are-fashioned-by-it-so-that/)

[Eva Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-figes/)

> [“Sexually active? Sexually active ? Patrick and I hadn't even learned the fine points of kissing yet! I marched on down. 'For your information,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-reynolds-naylor/sexually-active-sexually-active-patrick-and-i-hadn-t-even-learned-the/)

[Phyllis Reynolds Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-reynolds-naylor/)

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[Shannon McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-mckenna/)

> [Everybody should be mad but anger only takes you so far. At some point, you'll have outrage fatigue and burn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/everybody-should-be-mad-but-anger-only-takes-you-so-far-at-some-point/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [“Any time we feel ourselves moved to outrage by the behavior of people we think of as them, have we, accidentally or deliberately, allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/any-time-we-feel-ourselves-moved-to-outrage-by-the-behavior-of-people/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I worship nothing. Not a good lie nor a dark one. If nature is proof of God's amazing creation then I have truly seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-numan/i-worship-nothing-not-a-good-lie-nor-a-dark-one-if-nature-is-proof-of/)

[Gary Numan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-numan/)

[Browse all 418 Outrage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outrage/)

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