--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A delusion is something that people…" description: "\"A delusion is something that people believe in despite a total lack of evidence.\" — Richard Dawkins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/richard-dawkins-115_believe_a-delusion-is-something-that-people-beli_967356.jpg" --- # A delusion is something that people believe in despite a… ![“A delusion is something that people believe in despite a total lack of evidence.” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/richard-dawkins-115_believe_a-delusion-is-something-that-people-beli_967356.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/richard-dawkins-115_believe_a-delusion-is-something-that-people-beli_967356.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/richard-dawkins-115_believe_a-delusion-is-something-that-people-beli_967356.jpg) > “A delusion is something that people believe in despite a total lack of evidence.” [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Defines a delusion as a belief held despite a complete lack of supporting evidence. **In simple terms:** Belief without evidence is a delusion. Key Takeaway Question unsupported beliefs. Themes critical thinking skepticism belief evidence Mood analytical skeptical Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - debate - education - media literacy - policy making Key Concepts philosophy psychology science Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs have you examined critically? - How do you balance doubt and faith? A Different Perspective People may cling to delusions for emotional comfort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Despite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-despite-1088867/) [Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) [Delusion People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion-people-1833920/) [Despite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despite/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Lack Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-evidence-549151/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-believe/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) ## Related quotes > [... it is because one can build a compelling set of arguments - informed by science and thoroughly compatible with it - that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massimo-pigliucci/it-is-because-one-can-build-a-compelling-set-of-arguments-informed-by/) [Massimo Pigliucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massimo-pigliucci/) > [There's always an element of self delusion among people who believe they ought to be President. There's an underestimation of your opponent and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/there-s-always-an-element-of-self-delusion-among-people-who-believe/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [“Most people, if philosophy touches them, they shatter, they atomize, they turn to dust. It is win/lose between philosophy and delusion, and most people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/most-people-if-philosophy-touches-them-they-shatter-they-atomize-they/) [Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/) > [The attempt to redefine the family as a purely voluntary arrangement grows out of the modern delusion that people can keep all their options…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/the-attempt-to-redefine-the-family-as-a-purely-voluntary-arrangement/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [I don't believe in marriage. I think at worst it's a hostile political act, a way for small-minded men to keep women in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-modotti/i-don-t-believe-in-marriage-i-think-at-worst-it-s-a-hostile-political/) [Tina Modotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-modotti/) > [One cannot properly appreciate the human realities so long as one labors under the adolescent delusion that people get the fates they deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-rescher/one-cannot-properly-appreciate-the-human-realities-so-long-as-one/) [Nicholas Rescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-rescher/) > [“Psychologists have finally proven that the entire justice system’s deep motives and its idea as a whole, which have existed for thousands of years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandar-tomov/psychologists-have-finally-proven-that-the-entire-justice-system-s/) [Alexandar Tomov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandar-tomov/) > [No, I don't think you're paranoid. 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No one thinks there is good evidence for the proposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-plantinga/but-lack-of-evidence-if-indeed-evidence-is-lacking-is-no-grounds-for/) [Alvin Plantinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-plantinga/) > [Concerning the gods, I have no means of knowing either that they exist or that they do not exist, nor what sort of form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/protagoras/concerning-the-gods-i-have-no-means-of-knowing-either-that-they-exist/) [Protagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/protagoras/) > [“The writer C. S. Lewis once characterized this style of argument: “The very lack of evidence is thus treated as evidence; the absence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-oreskes/the-writer-c-s-lewis-once-characterized-this-style-of-argument-the/) [Naomi Oreskes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-oreskes/) > [Must faith be exactly that, the willingness and ability to believe in the face of a lack of evidence? If one could find the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-d-simak/must-faith-be-exactly-that-the-willingness-and-ability-to-believe-in/) [Clifford D. Simak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-d-simak/) ## More by Richard Dawkins > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. 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And of all its money-making rip-offs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-roman-catholic-church-is-an-institution-for-whose-gains-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/let-us-understand-what-our-own-selfish-genes-are-up-to-because-we-may/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. 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If in the future that requires violence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-will-not-go-quietly-away-if-in-the-future-that-requires-violence/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It's a truly disgusting idea that the creator of the universe - capable of inventing the laws of physics and designing the evolutionary process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-truly-disgusting-idea-that-the-creator-of-the-universe-capable/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Explore all 1,239 Richard Dawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. 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