--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People suffer all their life long, under…" description: "\"People suffer all their life long, under the foolish superstition that they can be cheated. But it is impossible for a person to be cheated by anyone b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_cheated_people-suffer-all-their-life-long-under_337586.jpg" --- # People suffer all their life long, under the foolish… ![“People suffer all their life long, under the foolish superstition that they can be cheated. But it is impossible for a person to be cheated by anyone but himself.” quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_cheated_people-suffer-all-their-life-long-under_337586.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_cheated_people-suffer-all-their-life-long-under_337586.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_cheated_people-suffer-all-their-life-long-under_337586.jpg) > “People suffer all their life long, under the foolish superstition that they can be cheated. But it is impossible for a person to be cheated by anyone but himself.” [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We are our own victims when we believe others can deceive us; true cheating comes from self‑deception. **In simple terms:** We fool ourselves, not others. Key Takeaway Guard your mind against self‑deception. Themes self‑reliance deception personal responsibility Mood reflective serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal decision - financial planning - relationships - mental health Key Concepts philosophy psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize when you’re deceiving yourself? - What habits protect against self‑deception? A Different Perspective Self‑deception can be subtle and hard to notice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Foolishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolishness/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Long life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Superstitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstitions/) ## Related quotes > [Yea He Hurt Me But The Very Person He Cheated On Me With Will Do The Same Damage To Him . God Don't Like Ugly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guanesha-norman/yea-he-hurt-me-but-the-very-person-he-cheated-on-me-with-will-do-the/) Guanesha Norman > [I think personally it's not good for anyone - I don't think infidelity leads to happiness. 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True…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-the-delight-of-vulgar-talent-to-dazzle-and-to-bind-the-beholder/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [It is impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-impossible-for-a-man-to-be-cheated-by-anyone-but-himself/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Our darling Roberta, No sorrow shall hurt her If we can prevent it Her whole life long. Her birthday's our fete day, We'll make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-nesbit/our-darling-roberta-no-sorrow-shall-hurt-her-if-we-can-prevent-it-her/) [E. 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Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/coal-lay-in-ledges-under-the-ground-since-the-flood-until-a-laborer/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I am; therefore, I had nothing better to do than to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-am-therefore-i-had-nothing-better-to-do-than-to-think/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends, but they are imprisoned by an enchanter in these paper and leathern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-a-library-we-are-surrounded-by-many-hundreds-of-dear-friends-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Explore all 4,802 Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More Cheated quotes > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I loved you, I put my time into you, you failed. like a test, you cheated. you controlled me for to long and now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-ann/i-loved-you-i-put-my-time-into-you-you-failed-like-a-test-you-cheated/) Zoe Ann > [I felt cheated by the way grown-ups told me that the future of the world was bleak when I became a teenager in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/i-felt-cheated-by-the-way-grown-ups-told-me-that-the-future-of-the/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [1st time being cheated on that I know of. Worst day of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/1st-time-being-cheated-on-that-i-know-of-worst-day-of-my-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I thought if I loved you enough I could change you. I was so stupid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-ramirez/i-thought-if-i-loved-you-enough-i-could-change-you-i-was-so-stupid/) [Steven Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-ramirez/) > [It was like she was cheated. Only nobody had cheated her. So there was nobody to take it out on. However, just the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-mccullers/it-was-like-she-was-cheated-only-nobody-had-cheated-her-so-there-was/) [Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-mccullers/) > [We've all had someone break our hearts or have been fired from a job or have been cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/we-ve-all-had-someone-break-our-hearts-or-have-been-fired-from-a-job/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [I've never cheated. I've been cheated on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maura-higgins/i-ve-never-cheated-i-ve-been-cheated-on/) [Maura Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maura-higgins/) > [Sex is a continuum. You go through different phases along life's way... and if you don't, you've been sort of cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/sex-is-a-continuum-you-go-through-different-phases-along-life-s-way/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I tried to hold onto what we had, but you didn't even make an effort. You lied, you cheated, and left me to cry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-tried-to-hold-onto-what-we-had-but-you-didn-t-even-make-an-effort/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you've treated your girlfriend without respect, taken advantage of her, or cheated on her, your actions have taught her that she has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shipp/if-you-ve-treated-your-girlfriend-without-respect-taken-advantage-of/) Josh Shipp > [Although all men are born free, slavery has been the general lot of the human race. Ignorant--they have been cheated; asleep--they have been surprised;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/although-all-men-are-born-free-slavery-has-been-the-general-lot-of/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [To be intimate with a married man, when my own father cheated on my mother, is not something I could forgive. I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/to-be-intimate-with-a-married-man-when-my-own-father-cheated-on-my/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [“I don’t know how these things died without benefit of a bullet to the brain pan. 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