--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And if you cannot be wise, pretend to be…" description: "\"“And if you cannot be wise, pretend to be someone who is wise, and then just behave like they would.”\" — Neil Gaiman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/neil-gaiman-29_pretend_and-if-you-cannot-be-wise-pretend-to-be_107735.jpg" --- # And if you cannot be wise, pretend to be someone who is… ![“And if you cannot be wise, pretend to be someone who is wise, and then just behave like they would.” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/neil-gaiman-29_pretend_and-if-you-cannot-be-wise-pretend-to-be_107735.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/neil-gaiman-29_pretend_and-if-you-cannot-be-wise-pretend-to-be_107735.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/neil-gaiman-29_pretend_and-if-you-cannot-be-wise-pretend-to-be_107735.jpg) > ““And if you cannot be wise, pretend to be someone who is wise, and then just behave like they would.”” [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adopt the habits and mindset of wise people when you lack wisdom, using imitation as a bridge to genuine behavior. **In simple terms:** Act like the wise to become wise. Key Takeaway Imitation can foster authentic growth. Themes self-improvement behavioral modeling wisdom Mood motivated reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - starting a new job - learning a skill - navigating social circles Key Concepts social learning identity formation Practical Applications - Observe and emulate role models - Practice their decision‑making patterns Questions to Reflect On - How can imitation evolve into authentic wisdom? - When does mimicry become counterproductive? A Different Perspective Pretending without reflection may reinforce superficiality rather than true insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behave Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave-like/) [Just Behave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-behave-1288124/) [Pretend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretend/) [Pretend Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretend-wise-1288122/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise Pretend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-pretend-1288123/) ## Related quotes > [When I came out of Big Brother' and saw it all back, I was like: Oh my god, my mouth! My nan's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mckenna/when-i-came-out-of-big-brother-and-saw-it-all-back-i-was-like-oh-my/) [Megan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mckenna/) > [Be wise, because the world needs more wisdom. 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Or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/this-is-a-time-in-my-life-where-i-m-gonna-behave-like-an-elegant/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) ## More by Neil Gaiman > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. 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Nothing dates harder and faster and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-tell-the-date-of-an-old-science-fiction-novel-by-every-word/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“The quickest way is sometimes the longest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-quickest-way-is-sometimes-the-longest/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“They were spells, spelled with words to make worlds, waiting for me, in the pages of books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-spells-spelled-with-words-to-make-worlds-waiting-for-me-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [What do stars do? They shine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-do-stars-do-they-shine/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“What," asked Mr Croup, "do you want?" "What," asked the Marquis de Carabas, a little more rhetorically, "does anyone want?" "Dead things," suggested Mr…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-asked-mr-croup-do-you-want-what-asked-the-marquis-de-carabas-a/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You get on with your own life. Lettie gave it to you. You just have to grow up and try and be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-get-on-with-your-own-life-lettie-gave-it-to-you-you-just-have-to/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. 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Let's pretend that we're human beings, and that we're actually alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/why-don-t-we-have-a-little-game-let-s-pretend-that-we-re-human-beings/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) > [I pretend not to teach, but to inquire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/i-pretend-not-to-teach-but-to-inquire/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [You can only pretend for so long before reality hits and you realize he/she is not who you thought or what you truly want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/you-can-only-pretend-for-so-long-before-reality-hits-and-you-realize/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [Why is it that anyone can pretend to be someone there not and never be someone they are?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akeem/why-is-it-that-anyone-can-pretend-to-be-someone-there-not-and-never/) [Akeem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akeem/) > [Act your age dont pretend to be older than you are, give yourself time to grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/act-your-age-dont-pretend-to-be-older-than-you-are-give-yourself-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's hard to pretend you don't care about someone when really there all you think about](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-hard-to-pretend-you-don-t-care-about-someone-when-really-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Yeah, okay, Brenna. You wanna pretend like you and me aren’t what we are, that’s fine. I’m not gonna pretend. I’m not takin’ your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-jacquelyn/yeah-okay-brenna-you-wanna-pretend-like-you-and-me-aren-t-what-we-are/) [Nicole Jacquelyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-jacquelyn/) > [Wear flats. You're short. It's much cooler not to pretend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alber-elbaz/wear-flats-you-re-short-it-s-much-cooler-not-to-pretend/) [Alber Elbaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alber-elbaz/) > [“I didn't normally talk this way: but sometimes you have to pretend to be an innocent child to learn something about the complicated world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-clarke/i-didn-t-normally-talk-this-way-but-sometimes-you-have-to-pretend-to/) [Brock Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-clarke/) > [Let's not pretend we have too much of a democracy here, because we don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/let-s-not-pretend-we-have-too-much-of-a-democracy-here-because-we-don/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [Don't be ashamed if you don't like what others pretend to love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/don-t-be-ashamed-if-you-don-t-like-what-others-pretend-to-love/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [We must be careful about what we pretend to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/we-must-be-careful-about-what-we-pretend-to-be/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“the best way to avoid having your heart broken was to pretend you don’t have one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/the-best-way-to-avoid-having-your-heart-broken-was-to-pretend-you-don/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) [Browse all 1,466 Pretend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretend/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And if you cannot be wise, pretend to be someone who is wise, and then just behave like they would.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil Gaiman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/and-if-you-cannot-be-wise-pretend-to-be-someone-who-is-wise-and-then/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Pretend" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/and-if-you-cannot-be-wise-pretend-to-be-someone-who-is-wise-and-then/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/neil-gaiman-29_pretend_and-if-you-cannot-be-wise-pretend-to-be_107735.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/neil-gaiman-29_pretend_and-if-you-cannot-be-wise-pretend-to-be_107735.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/neil-gaiman-29_pretend_and-if-you-cannot-be-wise-pretend-to-be_107735.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And if you cannot be wise, pretend to be someone who is wise, and then just behave like they would.” — Neil Gaiman", "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": "Neil Gaiman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“And if you cannot be wise,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/and-if-you-cannot-be-wise-pretend-to-be-someone-who-is-wise-and-then/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/and-if-you-cannot-be-wise-pretend-to-be-someone-who-is-wise-and-then/#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 } } ] } ```