--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's very hard to look in the mirror. We…" description: "\"It's very hard to look in the mirror. We all know this. It's much easier to have illusions about yourself. And in particular, when you think, well, I'm..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c13/noam-chomsky-42_about-yourself_it-s-very-hard-to-look-in-the-mirror-we_2537724.jpg" --- # It's very hard to look in the mirror. We all know this… ![“It's very hard to look in the mirror. We all know this. It's much easier to have illusions about yourself. And in particular, when you think, well, I'm going to believe what I like, but I'll say what the powerful want, you do that over time, and you believe what you say.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c13/noam-chomsky-42_about-yourself_it-s-very-hard-to-look-in-the-mirror-we_2537724.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c13/noam-chomsky-42_about-yourself_it-s-very-hard-to-look-in-the-mirror-we_2537724.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c13/noam-chomsky-42_about-yourself_it-s-very-hard-to-look-in-the-mirror-we_2537724.jpg) > “It's very hard to look in the mirror. We all know this. It's much easier to have illusions about yourself. And in particular, when you think, well, I'm going to believe what I like, but I'll say what the powerful want, you do that over time, and you believe what you say.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People find it easier to maintain self‑deception than confront reality; repeated self‑justification leads to believing false narratives. **In simple terms:** Self‑deception is easier than truth. Key Takeaway Question your beliefs. Themes psychology truth self‑deception media influence Mood critical analytical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - political discourse - personal reflection - media literacy - education Key Concepts cognitive bias confirmation bias critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - Why do we prefer comforting lies? - How can we break cycles of self‑deception? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex psychological processes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about-yourself/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Easier Illusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier-illusions-1404066/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [Illusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusions/) [Illusions Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusions-particular-1404067/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Look Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-mirror/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror/) [Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [You're a prisoner of your own illusions - about yourself and about the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-millman/you-re-a-prisoner-of-your-own-illusions-about-yourself-and-about-the/) [Dan Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-millman/) > [There are very few people who are going to look into the mirror and say, 'That person I see is a savage monster;' instead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-very-few-people-who-are-going-to-look-into-the-mirror-and/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Nobody should have any illusions. The United States has essentially a one-party system and the ruling party is the business party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/nobody-should-have-any-illusions-the-united-states-has-essentially-a/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you want to meet someone who can fix any situation you don't like, who can bring you happiness in spite of what other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/if-you-want-to-meet-someone-who-can-fix-any-situation-you-don-t-like/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [When I look in the mirror all I see is the other half of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dyllan/when-i-look-in-the-mirror-all-i-see-is-the-other-half-of-me/) [Dyllan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dyllan/) > [When you look in the mirror at the end of the day, make sure you feel good about what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-faison/when-you-look-in-the-mirror-at-the-end-of-the-day-make-sure-you-feel/) [Frankie Faison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-faison/) > [Sometimes you gotta look yourself in the mirror and say, 'You are the prettiest princess in all the land.' I do it once a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-barakat/sometimes-you-gotta-look-yourself-in-the-mirror-and-say-you-are-the/) [Jack Barakat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-barakat/) > [You don't even want to look in the mirror after you've had a baby, because your stomach is just hanging there like a Shar-Pei.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-crawford/you-don-t-even-want-to-look-in-the-mirror-after-you-ve-had-a-baby/) [Cindy Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-crawford/) > [It's not a prerequisite for an actor to be obsessed about his looks. I know there are people who don't look in the mirror…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hrithik-roshan/it-s-not-a-prerequisite-for-an-actor-to-be-obsessed-about-his-looks-i/) [Hrithik Roshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hrithik-roshan/) > [Look in the mirror and tell yourself how wonderful you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/look-in-the-mirror-and-tell-yourself-how-wonderful-you-are/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [Look in the mirror, and laugh at yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-glassman/look-in-the-mirror-and-laugh-at-yourself/) [Bernie Glassman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-glassman/) > [“You recognize your lower self when you look in a mirror, but only recognize your higher self when you look inside your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/you-recognize-your-lower-self-when-you-look-in-a-mirror-but-only/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Being happy and being able to look yourself in the mirror while doing it is a delicate balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-ingro/being-happy-and-being-able-to-look-yourself-in-the-mirror-while-doing/) [Jessica Ingro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-ingro/) > [When people look in the mirror, sometimes they see are their shells in the mirror, nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-look-in-the-mirror-sometimes-they-see-are-their-shells-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I always look in the mirror to see somthing beautiful but all I see is me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/13-yearold/i-always-look-in-the-mirror-to-see-somthing-beautiful-but-all-i-see/) [13 Yearold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/13-yearold/) ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. 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Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Explore all 2,129 Noam Chomsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More About yourself quotes > [“they all have always loved you Will Herondale, for you cannot hide what is good about yourself, however har you try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/they-all-have-always-loved-you-will-herondale-for-you-cannot-hide/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/if-you-can-t-love-yourself-how-in-the-hell-you-gonna-love-somebody/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [Change your thoughts, change your life. —LAO TZU When I was fighting depression, I remember hearing this expression and not understanding it at first.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/change-your-thoughts-change-your-life-lao-tzu-when-i-was-fighting/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [Dreams really tell you about yourself more than anything else in this world could ever tell you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-browne/dreams-really-tell-you-about-yourself-more-than-anything-else-in-this/) [Sylvia Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-browne/) > [Celebrate all the things you don't like about yourself. love yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/celebrate-all-the-things-you-don-t-like-about-yourself-love-yourself/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [Start enjoying the things you like about yourself, and if there are things you want to change, either get to work on it or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benji-madden/start-enjoying-the-things-you-like-about-yourself-and-if-there-are/) [Benji Madden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benji-madden/) > [Always be yourself. There's only one you. You should embrace anything that you don't like about yourself because that's individual and that's you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesy-nelson/always-be-yourself-there-s-only-one-you-you-should-embrace-anything/) [Jesy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesy-nelson/) > [It's too distracting to read about yourself. You want to be perfect and you want everyone to love you, and that's never going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/it-s-too-distracting-to-read-about-yourself-you-want-to-be-perfect/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/if-you-want-to-know-how-to-make-people-shun-you-and-laugh-at-you/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [The only thing a master can teach is how to learn about yourself. 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