--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is so easy to convince others; it is…" description: "\"It is so easy to convince others; it is so difficult to convince oneself.\" — Oscar Wilde" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/oscar-wilde-16_convince_it-is-so-easy-to-convince-others-it-is-s_522234.jpg" --- # It is so easy to convince others; it is so difficult to… ![“It is so easy to convince others; it is so difficult to convince oneself.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/oscar-wilde-16_convince_it-is-so-easy-to-convince-others-it-is-s_522234.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/oscar-wilde-16_convince_it-is-so-easy-to-convince-others-it-is-s_522234.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/oscar-wilde-16_convince_it-is-so-easy-to-convince-others-it-is-s_522234.jpg) > “It is so easy to convince others; it is so difficult to convince oneself.” [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Convincing others is easy; convincing oneself of truth or change is far harder. **In simple terms:** Self‑conviction is difficult. Key Takeaway Challenge your own beliefs. Themes self‑awareness truth persuasion Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - political debate - personal growth - ethical decisions Key Concepts cognitive bias self‑deception critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - What belief have you resisted changing? - How can you test your own assumptions? A Different Perspective Self‑conviction can be hindered by ego. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) ## Related quotes > [To convince oneself that one has the right to live decently takes time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evita-peron/to-convince-oneself-that-one-has-the-right-to-live-decently-takes-time/) [Evita Peron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evita-peron/) > [“For, besides what has been said, people are fickle by nature: it is easy to convince them of something, but difficult to hold them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/for-besides-what-has-been-said-people-are-fickle-by-nature-it-is-easy/) [Niccolò Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [In theory it is easy to convince an ignorant person; in actual life, men not only object to offer themselves to be convinced, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/in-theory-it-is-easy-to-convince-an-ignorant-person-in-actual-life/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“And let the record show: it is not easy to convince the American public of anything. For”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-koppel/and-let-the-record-show-it-is-not-easy-to-convince-the-american/) [Ted Koppel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-koppel/) > [“It has never been more difficult to convince the American public of anything that it is not already inclined to believe. —”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-koppel/it-has-never-been-more-difficult-to-convince-the-american-public-of/) [Ted Koppel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-koppel/) > [It is very difficult to convince producers about a script without having the backing of a star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-agnihotri/it-is-very-difficult-to-convince-producers-about-a-script-without/) [Vivek Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-agnihotri/) > [Besides what has been said, people are fickle by nature; and it is a simple to convince them of something but difficult to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/besides-what-has-been-said-people-are-fickle-by-nature-and-it-is-a/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [I think it takes an amazing amount of energy to convince oneself that the Forever Person isn't just around the corner. In the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/i-think-it-takes-an-amazing-amount-of-energy-to-convince-oneself-that/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [To convince oneself is to convince others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-convince-oneself-is-to-convince-others/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you sit down and talk to a person, it's easy to convince him that apartheid can never save a country and will lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/if-you-sit-down-and-talk-to-a-person-it-s-easy-to-convince-him-that/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [It was very easy to convince me to take on the job of character designer for 'Dragon Quest.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-toriyama/it-was-very-easy-to-convince-me-to-take-on-the-job-of-character/) [Akira Toriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-toriyama/) > [“And it is seldom easy to convince a person that he is playing the fool.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hess/and-it-is-seldom-easy-to-convince-a-person-that-he-is-playing-the-fool/) [Donna Lynn Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hess/) > [“It is very easy to convince yourself that you have done something correctly if you never pay attention to what else you might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-mutsuki-mockett/it-is-very-easy-to-convince-yourself-that-you-have-done-something/) Marie Mutsuki Mockett > [It is easy to convince a man who already thinks as you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/it-is-easy-to-convince-a-man-who-already-thinks-as-you-do/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [“It is very difficult to convince a person to come out of his conservative shell, unless he feels discomfort there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarif-naaz/it-is-very-difficult-to-convince-a-person-to-come-out-of-his/) [Tarif Naaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarif-naaz/) ## More by Oscar Wilde > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/bachelors-should-be-heavily-taxed-it-is-not-fair-that-some-men-should/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Who, being loved, is poor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/who-being-loved-is-poor/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Basil my dear boy puts everything that is charming in him into his work. The consequence is that he has nothing left for life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/basil-my-dear-boy-puts-everything-that-is-charming-in-him-into-his/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Anybody can be good in the country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/anybody-can-be-good-in-the-country/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Alles Populäre ist falsch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alles-popul-re-ist-falsch/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“If these elements of beauty are real, the whole thing simply appeals to our sense of dramatic effect. Suddenly we find that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-these-elements-of-beauty-are-real-the-whole-thing-simply-appeals/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [To love one's self is the beginning of a life-long romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-love-one-s-self-is-the-beginning-of-a-life-long-romance/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/moderation-is-a-fatal-thing-enough-is-as-bad-as-a-meal-more-than/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/beauty-is-the-only-thing-that-time-cannot-harm-philosophies-fall-away/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) [Explore all 3,343 Oscar Wilde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More Convince quotes > [“Sometimes we want something to be true so badly that we convince ourselves that it is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/sometimes-we-want-something-to-be-true-so-badly-that-we-convince/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [The privilege of prayer to me is one of the most cherished possessions, because faith and experience alike convince me that God himself sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-grenfell/the-privilege-of-prayer-to-me-is-one-of-the-most-cherished/) [Wilfred Grenfell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-grenfell/) > [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [The first duty of a wise advocate is to convince his opponents that he understands their arguments, and sympathies with their just feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/the-first-duty-of-a-wise-advocate-is-to-convince-his-opponents-that/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [Once you convince people that they're victims, you really own them because you've just told them that whatever problems they have in life, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/once-you-convince-people-that-they-re-victims-you-really-own-them/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The people on the QVC shopping channel convince me that life is worth living. They see the good in everything. People who go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-vegas/the-people-on-the-qvc-shopping-channel-convince-me-that-life-is-worth/) [Johnny Vegas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-vegas/) > [“What can I say to convince you the Houses of Parliament dissolve night after night to become the fluid dream of the Thames? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisel-mueller/what-can-i-say-to-convince-you-the-houses-of-parliament-dissolve/) [Lisel Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisel-mueller/) > [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“If you can convince yourself, you can convince the other fellow,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/if-you-can-convince-yourself-you-can-convince-the-other-fellow/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [Don't lie to yourself about what you can't or can achieve. Convince yourself on a realistic level that you can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-lie-to-yourself-about-what-you-can-t-or-can-achieve-convince/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don't ever let anyone convince you that your imagination is wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-bianco/don-t-ever-let-anyone-convince-you-that-your-imagination-is-wrong/) [Giuseppe Bianco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuseppe-bianco/) > [It's hard to convince your agents and managers to do theater, because it's not as financially rewarding and it takes up a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-helberg/it-s-hard-to-convince-your-agents-and-managers-to-do-theater-because/) [Simon Helberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-helberg/) > [I guess that is the strange part of the human brain that people have studied for eons - is hatred and self-hatred. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/i-guess-that-is-the-strange-part-of-the-human-brain-that-people-have/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [I knew I shouldn't like him cause I know it's not working, and everybody tells me that, and I convince myself I don't... and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-knew-i-shouldn-t-like-him-cause-i-know-it-s-not-working-and/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [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/) Browse all 1,431 Convince quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is so easy to convince others; it is so difficult to convince oneself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Wilde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-is-so-easy-to-convince-others-it-is-so-difficult-to-convince/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Convince" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-is-so-easy-to-convince-others-it-is-so-difficult-to-convince/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/oscar-wilde-16_convince_it-is-so-easy-to-convince-others-it-is-s_522234.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/oscar-wilde-16_convince_it-is-so-easy-to-convince-others-it-is-s_522234.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/277/oscar-wilde-16_convince_it-is-so-easy-to-convince-others-it-is-s_522234.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is so easy to convince others; it is so difficult to convince oneself.” — Oscar Wilde", "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": "Oscar Wilde", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is so easy to convince...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-is-so-easy-to-convince-others-it-is-so-difficult-to-convince/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-is-so-easy-to-convince-others-it-is-so-difficult-to-convince/#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 } } ] } ```