--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It probably is harder to fool people when…" description: "\"It probably is harder to fool people when they know they're going to be fooled.\" — Ricky Jay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/ricky-jay-14367_fool_it-probably-is-harder-to-fool-people-whe_1249366.png" --- # It probably is harder to fool people when they know… ![“It probably is harder to fool people when they know they're going to be fooled.” quote by Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/ricky-jay-14367_fool_it-probably-is-harder-to-fool-people-whe_1249366.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/ricky-jay-14367_fool_it-probably-is-harder-to-fool-people-whe_1249366.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/ricky-jay-14367_fool_it-probably-is-harder-to-fool-people-whe_1249366.png) > “It probably is harder to fool people when they know they're going to be fooled.” [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Knowing a deception is coming reduces its effectiveness because awareness creates mental resistance. **In simple terms:** Awareness weakens tricks. Key Takeaway Stay skeptical and informed. Themes psychology deception awareness Mood cautious reflective Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - political speeches - advertising - personal relationships Key Concepts cognitive bias critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How does foreknowledge change your reaction? - Can you ever be fully immune to persuasion? A Different Perspective People can still be manipulated despite awareness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Fool People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool-people-298306/) [Fooled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fooled/) [Going Fooled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-fooled-3930393/) [Harder Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harder-fool-3930394/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Probably Harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probably-harder-1458971/) ## Related quotes > [There are some great pitchers in this league. You're going to get fooled sometimes. They're going to get you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-judge/there-are-some-great-pitchers-in-this-league-you-re-going-to-get/) [Aaron Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-judge/) > [If you feel like it's difficult to change, you will probably have a harder time succeeding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/if-you-feel-like-it-s-difficult-to-change-you-will-probably-have-a/) [Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/) > [As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-grow-up-we-learn-that-even-the-one-person-that-wasn-t-supposed-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Or I can choose to force myself to consider the likelihood that everyone else in the supermarket's checkout line is just as bored and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/or-i-can-choose-to-force-myself-to-consider-the-likelihood-that/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [It is easier to fool people than convince them they have been fooled ~](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/it-is-easier-to-fool-people-than-convince-them-they-have-been-fooled/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [You can fool people for a while. But generally, in the long-run, you're the only one that ends up being fooled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-jay-taylor/you-can-fool-people-for-a-while-but-generally-in-the-long-run-you-re/) [T Jay Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-jay-taylor/) > [It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-s-easier-to-fool-people-than-to-convince-them-that-they-have-been/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Though the Americans can be fooled, as they have been, and they can be propagandized, as they have been... But, as Lincoln said, "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/though-the-americans-can-be-fooled-as-they-have-been-and-they-can-be/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [You can't fool all of the people all of the time. But it isn't necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/you-can-t-fool-all-of-the-people-all-of-the-time-but-it-isn-t/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/if-you-once-forfeit-the-confidence-of-your-fellow-citizens-you-can/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I think you can fool people once but you can't fool the people all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/i-think-you-can-fool-people-once-but-you-can-t-fool-the-people-all/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [It is easy to fool yourself. It is possible to fool the people you work for. It is more difficult to fool the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-bates-thayer/it-is-easy-to-fool-yourself-it-is-possible-to-fool-the-people-you/) [Harry Bates Thayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-bates-thayer/) > [Hoaxes are nothing new. News media isn't hard to fool. It's fun to fool and people like to mess with people. It all goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-green/hoaxes-are-nothing-new-news-media-isn-t-hard-to-fool-it-s-fun-to-fool/) [Hank Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-green/) > [You can fool most of the people most of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/you-can-fool-most-of-the-people-most-of-the-time/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/you-can-fool-some-of-the-people-all-the-time-and-those-are-the-ones/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More by Ricky Jay > [Writing is the only thing in my life that doesn't get easier. It just doesn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/writing-is-the-only-thing-in-my-life-that-doesn-t-get-easier-it-just/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [Magicians from the nineteenth century threw cards distances, but I think I'm the first one who made a thing about using them as weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/magicians-from-the-nineteenth-century-threw-cards-distances-but-i/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [That's one of the ways language evolved, by some very obscure form becoming common usage. And I must say that I'm very intrigued by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/that-s-one-of-the-ways-language-evolved-by-some-very-obscure-form/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [I started doing radio pieces with no clear, preconceived idea, except that I have a tendency to be theatrical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/i-started-doing-radio-pieces-with-no-clear-preconceived-idea-except/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [I'm probably the only kid in history whose parents made him stop taking music lessons. They made me stop studying the accordion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/i-m-probably-the-only-kid-in-history-whose-parents-made-him-stop/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [I suppose that if I could only do one thing, a solid card effect would be pretty high on the list. That's the root…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/i-suppose-that-if-i-could-only-do-one-thing-a-solid-card-effect-would/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [To obfuscate the reconstruction of the effect - when a magician is fooled by another magician doing magic. In my career that's not been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/to-obfuscate-the-reconstruction-of-the-effect-when-a-magician-is/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [I know absolutely nothing about the 20th Century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/i-know-absolutely-nothing-about-the-20th-century/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [Unlike other Jewish families, we didn't go out for Chinese food on Sundays, but we spent our time in a world of baking powder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/unlike-other-jewish-families-we-didn-t-go-out-for-chinese-food-on/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [There are people who try to figure things out. Often, magic is presented in a way that sets up a challenge that I actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/there-are-people-who-try-to-figure-things-out-often-magic-is/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [Magic is a powerful art that can support a weak performer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/magic-is-a-powerful-art-that-can-support-a-weak-performer/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [My father was the Formica King of Long Island, and my mother was the daughter of a Bengal Lancer in India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/my-father-was-the-formica-king-of-long-island-and-my-mother-was-the/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [I'm much more interested in lesser-known eccentrics and characters and performers. Like Matthew Buchinger, who was born in Germany in 1674, had no arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/i-m-much-more-interested-in-lesser-known-eccentrics-and-characters/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [I think a lot of people just assumed I came to L.A. to do more television and get into show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/i-think-a-lot-of-people-just-assumed-i-came-to-l-a-to-do-more/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) > [I always read what I write out loud, and I did that long before any radio thing. My editor finds that unusual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/i-always-read-what-i-write-out-loud-and-i-did-that-long-before-any/) [Ricky Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) [Explore all 47 Ricky Jay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/) ## More Fool quotes > [Do I look like a fool to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/do-i-look-like-a-fool-to-you/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“Not wise, perhaps, to be rude to the Pope's favorite son, but my viper tongue still required a fool now and then on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-quinn/not-wise-perhaps-to-be-rude-to-the-pope-s-favorite-son-but-my-viper/) [Kate Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-quinn/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [A fool and his money get a lot of publicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-bernstein/a-fool-and-his-money-get-a-lot-of-publicity/) [Al Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-bernstein/) > [There are different kinds of fire; there is false fire. No one knows this better than we do, but we are not such fools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-booth/there-are-different-kinds-of-fire-there-is-false-fire-no-one-knows/) [William Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-booth/) > [Every man must wear out at least one pair of fools shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-derr-biggers/every-man-must-wear-out-at-least-one-pair-of-fools-shoes/) [Earl Derr Biggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-derr-biggers/) > [If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wc-fields/if-at-first-you-don-t-succeed-try-try-again-then-quit-no-use-being-a/) [WC Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wc-fields/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [I'd be a fool to be in this for the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-hinn/i-d-be-a-fool-to-be-in-this-for-the-money/) [Benny Hinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-hinn/) > [It is a fool of a shepherd who culls his dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefferson-smith/it-is-a-fool-of-a-shepherd-who-culls-his-dogs/) [Jefferson Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefferson-smith/) > [Prefer to be defeated in the presence of the wise than to excel among fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prefer-to-be-defeated-in-the-presence-of-the-wise-than-to-excel-among/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A mistake doesnt make you a fool, but denying it surely makes you one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-mistake-doesnt-make-you-a-fool-but-denying-it-surely-makes-you-one/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) [Browse all 5,535 Fool quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It probably is harder to fool people when they know they're going to be fooled.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ricky Jay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/it-probably-is-harder-to-fool-people-when-they-know-they-re-going-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fool" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/it-probably-is-harder-to-fool-people-when-they-know-they-re-going-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/ricky-jay-14367_fool_it-probably-is-harder-to-fool-people-whe_1249366.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/ricky-jay-14367_fool_it-probably-is-harder-to-fool-people-whe_1249366.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/ricky-jay-14367_fool_it-probably-is-harder-to-fool-people-whe_1249366.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It probably is harder to fool people when they know they're going to be fooled.” — Ricky Jay", "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": "Ricky Jay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-jay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It probably is harder to fool...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/it-probably-is-harder-to-fool-people-when-they-know-they-re-going-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-jay/it-probably-is-harder-to-fool-people-when-they-know-they-re-going-to/#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 } } ] } ```