--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Quite possibly the only infinite power in…" description: "\"“Quite possibly the only infinite power in the universe may be the human capacity for self-deception.”\" — Michel Templet" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/michel-templet-11969_deception_quite-possibly-the-only-infinite-power-i_3197284.jpg" --- # Quite possibly the only infinite power in the universe may… ![“Quite possibly the only infinite power in the universe may be the human capacity for self-deception.” quote by Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/michel-templet-11969_deception_quite-possibly-the-only-infinite-power-i_3197284.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/michel-templet-11969_deception_quite-possibly-the-only-infinite-power-i_3197284.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/michel-templet-11969_deception_quite-possibly-the-only-infinite-power-i_3197284.jpg) > ““Quite possibly the only infinite power in the universe may be the human capacity for self-deception.”” [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that humanity's greatest strength may be its ability to deceive itself, shaping reality to fit desires. **In simple terms:** Human self‑deception could be the universe’s most powerful force. Key Takeaway Beware of self‑deception and seek honest self‑assessment. Themes psychology human nature power truth self‑deception Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - personal growth - leadership - decision making - conflict resolution - ethical deliberation Key Concepts cognitive bias self‑fulfilling prophecy ego defense Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑deception influence your choices? - What steps can you take to uncover hidden biases? 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Even if it can be temporarily pacified with the help of drugs, cigarettes or medicine, it usually has the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/ultimately-the-body-will-rebel-even-if-it-can-be-temporarily-pacified/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [We feel lonely now and then and long for friends and think we should be quite different and happier if we found a friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/we-feel-lonely-now-and-then-and-long-for-friends-and-think-we-should/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [The most transformative experiences people have - bliss, devotion, self transcendence - are currently anchored to the worst parts of culture and to ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-most-transformative-experiences-people-have-bliss-devotion-self/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [ You know, your species \[humans\] has the most amazing capacity for self-deception, matched only by its ingenuity in trying to destroy itself. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/you-know-your-species-humans-has-the-most-amazing-capacity-for-self/) [Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/) > [Meditation is not a matter of trying to achieve ecstasy, spiritual bliss, or tranquillity, nor is it attempting to become a better person. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/meditation-is-not-a-matter-of-trying-to-achieve-ecstasy-spiritual/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [The English language has 112 words for deception, according to one count, each with a different shade of meaning: collusion, fakery, malingering, self-deception, confabulation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-marantz-henig/the-english-language-has-112-words-for-deception-according-to-one/) [Robin Marantz Henig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-marantz-henig/) > [People always have been the foolish victims of deception and self-deception in politics, and they always will be, until they have learned to seek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/people-always-have-been-the-foolish-victims-of-deception-and-self/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [I think that there is an ongoing conspiracy in the philosophical community, an organized form of self-deception, as in a cult, to simply all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-metzinger/i-think-that-there-is-an-ongoing-conspiracy-in-the-philosophical/) [Thomas Metzinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-metzinger/) > [I worry about anthropomorphism as a form of self-deception. (The Christian religion is an anthropomorphic account of the universe.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-worry-about-anthropomorphism-as-a-form-of-self-deception-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What destroys us most effectively is not a malign fate but our own capacity for self-deception and for degrading our own best self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/what-destroys-us-most-effectively-is-not-a-malign-fate-but-our-own/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [The visionary lies to himself, the liar only to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-visionary-lies-to-himself-the-liar-only-to-others/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Love of another is merely empty flattery and self-deception for one who cannot accept himself without pretense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/love-of-another-is-merely-empty-flattery-and-self-deception-for-one/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“We all practice self-deception to a degree; no man can handle complete honesty without being cut at each turn. There's not enough room in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/we-all-practice-self-deception-to-a-degree-no-man-can-handle-complete/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) ## More by Michel Templet > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“To speak only one language is to do yourself a great injustice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/to-speak-only-one-language-is-to-do-yourself-a-great-injustice/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“There is no such thing as a victimless crime, and people should be allowed to do as they please with their own bodies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-victimless-crime-and-people-should-be/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Presidents are not elected anymore; they are hired.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/presidents-are-not-elected-anymore-they-are-hired/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“We have a problem when the same people who make the law get to decide whether or not they themselves have broken the law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/we-have-a-problem-when-the-same-people-who-make-the-law-get-to-decide/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“I find it significant that most military veterans become pacifists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/i-find-it-significant-that-most-military-veterans-become-pacifists/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“We live in a nation where education and free thought are tantamount to treason, and I have to ask, under these circumstances, is treason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/we-live-in-a-nation-where-education-and-free-thought-are-tantamount/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Patriotism is racism for the modern era.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/patriotism-is-racism-for-the-modern-era/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Obama's plan for "change": Let's do everything Bush did, only with more suck! Because it just didn't suck badly enough the first time!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/obama-s-plan-for-change-let-s-do-everything-bush-did-only-with-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Always remember, if you have been diagnosed with PTSD, it is not a sign of weakness; rather, it is proof of your strength, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/always-remember-if-you-have-been-diagnosed-with-ptsd-it-is-not-a-sign/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Why am I a socialist? Simple: Because I believe in freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/why-am-i-a-socialist-simple-because-i-believe-in-freedom/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“On 11 September 2001, a bunch of Saudis killed almost 3000 US civilians, which led to the construction of a monument in New York…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/on-11-september-2001-a-bunch-of-saudis-killed-almost-3000-us/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Is it morally acceptable to murder one hundred innocent people in the process of catching a serial killer who has murdered ten people? If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/is-it-morally-acceptable-to-murder-one-hundred-innocent-people-in-the/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Barack Obama is an even worse president than George W. Bush, because an evil bastard who knows what he's doing is far more dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/barack-obama-is-an-even-worse-president-than-george-w-bush-because-an/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Presenting a rational argument to a person who has forsaken the use of reason is like asking a vegetarian to eat a cheeseburger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/presenting-a-rational-argument-to-a-person-who-has-forsaken-the-use/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) [Explore all 57 Michel Templet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) ## More Deception quotes > [Fortunately, the mind is restless; when it uncovers a layer of its own deception, gives up an illusion, exposes a lie, it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-chernin/fortunately-the-mind-is-restless-when-it-uncovers-a-layer-of-its-own/) [Kim Chernin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-chernin/) > [“The fact that I can get away with something is the very reason why I shouldn’t do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-fact-that-i-can-get-away-with-something-is-the-very-reason-why-i/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“And so back to Cassie: who was she? Part of the deception; just a friend or something else…perhaps it was time to find out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-cusick-jones/and-so-back-to-cassie-who-was-she-part-of-the-deception-just-a-friend/) [Melanie Cusick-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-cusick-jones/) > [“Satan wants you to believe that you don't have a choice in the matter. You can't be happy until things go the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-rietzsch/satan-wants-you-to-believe-that-you-don-t-have-a-choice-in-the-matter/) [Lindsey Rietzsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-rietzsch/) > [No-deal Brexit could be Boris Johnson's biggest deception yet - worse than the Boris bus or the lies that had him sacked as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-davey/no-deal-brexit-could-be-boris-johnson-s-biggest-deception-yet-worse/) [Ed Davey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-davey/) > [The public should begin to understand that there's nothing that comes out of this campaign, or this Obama White House, that they can believe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sununu/the-public-should-begin-to-understand-that-there-s-nothing-that-comes/) [John Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sununu/) > [The history of institutions is often a history of deception and illusions; for their virtue depends on the ideas that produce and on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/the-history-of-institutions-is-often-a-history-of-deception-and/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Speaking of trust, ever since I wrote this book, 'Liespotting,' no one wants to meet me in person anymore - no, no, no, no,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-meyer/speaking-of-trust-ever-since-i-wrote-this-book-liespotting-no-one/) [Pamela Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-meyer/) > [Jack and Jill ran up the hill, both for a little fun. Jack's plan was deception while Jill sought affection. And Jack wouldn't quit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-faria-stolarz/jack-and-jill-ran-up-the-hill-both-for-a-little-fun-jack-s-plan-was/) [Laurie Faria Stolarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-faria-stolarz/) > [People with psychopathy are very good at reading the minds of their victims. That's probably most clearly seen in deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-baron-cohen/people-with-psychopathy-are-very-good-at-reading-the-minds-of-their/) [Simon Baron-Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-baron-cohen/) > [Any seeming deception in a statement is costly, not only in the expense of the advertising but in the detrimental effect produced upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/any-seeming-deception-in-a-statement-is-costly-not-only-in-the/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [Knowledge of God's Word is a bulwark against deception, temptation, accusation, even persecution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-louis-cole/knowledge-of-god-s-word-is-a-bulwark-against-deception-temptation/) [Edwin Louis Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-louis-cole/) > [In the last few years, the very idea of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is dredged up only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-musto/in-the-last-few-years-the-very-idea-of-telling-the-truth-the-whole/) [Michael Musto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-musto/) > [“To keep myself from harming or calling N and to stave off the rage and despair, I focus on my extraordinary son, drink midrange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-finnamore/to-keep-myself-from-harming-or-calling-n-and-to-stave-off-the-rage/) [Suzanne Finnamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-finnamore/) > [“For me, it´s sloth," I say. "Hedonistic sloth and escapism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-finnamore/for-me-it-s-sloth-i-say-hedonistic-sloth-and-escapism/) [Suzanne Finnamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-finnamore/) [Browse all 1,232 Deception quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deception/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Quite possibly the only infinite power in the universe may be the human capacity for self-deception.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michel Templet" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/quite-possibly-the-only-infinite-power-in-the-universe-may-be-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deception" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/quite-possibly-the-only-infinite-power-in-the-universe-may-be-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/michel-templet-11969_deception_quite-possibly-the-only-infinite-power-i_3197284.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/michel-templet-11969_deception_quite-possibly-the-only-infinite-power-i_3197284.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/michel-templet-11969_deception_quite-possibly-the-only-infinite-power-i_3197284.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Quite possibly the only infinite power in the universe may be the human capacity for self-deception.” — Michel Templet", "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": "Michel Templet", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Quite possibly the only infinite power...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/quite-possibly-the-only-infinite-power-in-the-universe-may-be-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/quite-possibly-the-only-infinite-power-in-the-universe-may-be-the/#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 } } ] } ```