--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And people would believe it, thought…" description: "\"“And people would believe it, thought Hartmann, because people believed what they wanted to believe – that was Goebbels’s great insight. They no longer..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/robert-harris-2039_goebbels_and-people-would-believe-it-thought-hart_1013613.png" --- # And people would believe it, thought Hartmann, because… ![“And people would believe it, thought Hartmann, because people believed what they wanted to believe – that was Goebbels’s great insight. They no longer had any need to bother themselves with inconvenient truths. He had given them an excuse not to think.” quote by Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/robert-harris-2039_goebbels_and-people-would-believe-it-thought-hart_1013613.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/robert-harris-2039_goebbels_and-people-would-believe-it-thought-hart_1013613.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d3/robert-harris-2039_goebbels_and-people-would-believe-it-thought-hart_1013613.png) > ““And people would believe it, thought Hartmann, because people believed what they wanted to believe – that was Goebbels’s great insight. They no longer had any need to bother themselves with inconvenient truths. He had given them an excuse not to think.”” [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People accept convenient narratives that align with desires, ignoring truth. **In simple terms:** People believe what they want. Key Takeaway Question assumptions. Themes propaganda psychology truth belief critical thinking Mood skeptical reflective Type political psychological When to use this quote - news consumption - political discourse - education - media literacy Key Concepts cognitive bias media influence political manipulation Questions to Reflect On - Why do we resist uncomfortable facts? - How can we foster critical thinking? A Different Perspective Truth can be suppressed by comfort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goebbels/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Goebbels was in favor of free speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you’re really in favor of free speech, then you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/goebbels-was-in-favor-of-free-speech-for-views-he-liked-so-was-stalin/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Everyone seemed to just accept what was happening. The eradication of the individual, the reduction of the people to a faceless gray mass shouting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesper-bugge-kold/everyone-seemed-to-just-accept-what-was-happening-the-eradication-of/) Jesper Bugge Kold > [“Goebbels famously remarked that “men organize life: women are their support and implement their decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-lower/goebbels-famously-remarked-that-men-organize-life-women-are-their/) [Wendy Lower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-lower/) > [Advocating through art is known as propaganda. You should look up the name Goebbels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/advocating-through-art-is-known-as-propaganda-you-should-look-up-the/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Himmler, Bormann, and Goebbels, they were probably bad fellows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-sauckel/himmler-bormann-and-goebbels-they-were-probably-bad-fellows/) [Fritz Sauckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-sauckel/) > [Hitler and Joseph Goebbels understood that if you say something loud and long enough many people will believe it. A good journalist's first priority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/hitler-and-joseph-goebbels-understood-that-if-you-say-something-loud/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Though anti-Semitism had been only one of several sources of Nazi voting strength, after 1933 Hitler placed anti-Semitic ideologues, the most important of whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-herf/though-anti-semitism-had-been-only-one-of-several-sources-of-nazi/) Jeffrey Herf > [“As I see it today, Hitler and Goebbels were in fact molded by the mob itself, guided by its yearnings and its daydreams. Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/as-i-see-it-today-hitler-and-goebbels-were-in-fact-molded-by-the-mob/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [ Perhaps one cannot, what is more one must not, understand what happened, because to understand \[the Holocaust\] is almost to justify...no normal human being… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/perhaps-one-cannot-what-is-more-one-must-not-understand-what-happened/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“Let me explain how such a thing might occasionally happen,' Goebbels said. 'All during the twelve years of the Weimar Republic our people were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-larson/let-me-explain-how-such-a-thing-might-occasionally-happen-goebbels/) [Erik Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-larson/) > [ Hitler's historical hero had always been Frederick the Great. \[Later\], under Goebbels' prompting ... Napoleon emerged ... as his model. … Frederick the Great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-hanfstaengl/hitler-s-historical-hero-had-always-been-frederick-the-great-later/) [Ernst Hanfstaengl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-hanfstaengl/) > [Hitler used to come to my house once in a while for a cup of coffee, and because I led a normal life, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/hitler-used-to-come-to-my-house-once-in-a-while-for-a-cup-of-coffee/) [Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/) > [But the truth of the matter is, that was fairly, fairly early on in Goebbels' 800 movies that he made in Germany. The majority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/but-the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-was-fairly-fairly-early-on-in/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [Leni Riefenstahl was the one person Goebbels had no control over in the filmmaking community of Nazi Germany, and they despised each other. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/leni-riefenstahl-was-the-one-person-goebbels-had-no-control-over-in/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) ## More by Robert Harris > [“Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. The earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/men-mistook-measurement-for-understanding-and-they-always-had-to-put/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [If one first gives himself to the Lord, all other giving is easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/if-one-first-gives-himself-to-the-lord-all-other-giving-is-easy/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“He felt more human with his boots on. A man can face the world with something on his feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/he-felt-more-human-with-his-boots-on-a-man-can-face-the-world-with/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [Cicero most reminds me of Harold Wilson. Both men knew how to keep the show on the road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/cicero-most-reminds-me-of-harold-wilson-both-men-knew-how-to-keep-the/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [The financial world is at the cutting edge of high technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/the-financial-world-is-at-the-cutting-edge-of-high-technology/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“To choose one's victims, to prepare one's plans minutely, to slake an implacable vengeance, and then to go to bed ... there is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/to-choose-one-s-victims-to-prepare-one-s-plans-minutely-to-slake-an/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“Nature has granted man no better gift than the shortness of life. The senses grow dull, the limbs are numb, sight, bearing, gait, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/nature-has-granted-man-no-better-gift-than-the-shortness-of-life-the/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“A crock of shit,” Rick had called it. But actually this was worse. Shit, to quote Gore Vidal, has its own integrity. This was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/a-crock-of-shit-rick-had-called-it-but-actually-this-was-worse-shit/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“... unfortunately, freedom alone is not enough, by far. If there is a shortage of bread, a shortage of butter and fats, a shortage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/unfortunately-freedom-alone-is-not-enough-by-far-if-there-is-a/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [It is perseverance, and not genius that takes a man to the top. Rome is full of unrecognized geniuses. Only perseverance enables you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/it-is-perseverance-and-not-genius-that-takes-a-man-to-the-top-rome-is/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“No one can really claim to know politics properly until he has stayed up all night writing a speech for delivery the following day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/no-one-can-really-claim-to-know-politics-properly-until-he-has-stayed/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [People perish. Books are immortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/people-perish-books-are-immortal/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [Does a name stick because it suits a man or does the man, unconsciously, evolve into his name?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/does-a-name-stick-because-it-suits-a-man-or-does-the-man/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“He glanced around the reading room and closed his eyes, trying to keep hold of the past for a minute longer, a fattening and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/he-glanced-around-the-reading-room-and-closed-his-eyes-trying-to-keep/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [The natural impulse of men is to follow and whoever has the strongest sense of purpose will always dominate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/the-natural-impulse-of-men-is-to-follow-and-whoever-has-the-strongest/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) [Explore all 184 Robert Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) ## More Goebbels quotes > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [But the truth of the matter is, that was fairly, fairly early on in Goebbels' 800 movies that he made in Germany. The majority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/but-the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-was-fairly-fairly-early-on-in/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [Hitler used to come to my house once in a while for a cup of coffee, and because I led a normal life, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/hitler-used-to-come-to-my-house-once-in-a-while-for-a-cup-of-coffee/) [Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/) > [ Hitler's historical hero had always been Frederick the Great. \[Later\], under Goebbels' prompting ... Napoleon emerged ... as his model. … Frederick the Great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-hanfstaengl/hitler-s-historical-hero-had-always-been-frederick-the-great-later/) [Ernst Hanfstaengl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-hanfstaengl/) > [“Let me explain how such a thing might occasionally happen,' Goebbels said. 'All during the twelve years of the Weimar Republic our people were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-larson/let-me-explain-how-such-a-thing-might-occasionally-happen-goebbels/) [Erik Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-larson/) > [ Perhaps one cannot, what is more one must not, understand what happened, because to understand \[the Holocaust\] is almost to justify...no normal human being… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/perhaps-one-cannot-what-is-more-one-must-not-understand-what-happened/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“As I see it today, Hitler and Goebbels were in fact molded by the mob itself, guided by its yearnings and its daydreams. Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-speer/as-i-see-it-today-hitler-and-goebbels-were-in-fact-molded-by-the-mob/) [Albert Speer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-speer/) > [Though anti-Semitism had been only one of several sources of Nazi voting strength, after 1933 Hitler placed anti-Semitic ideologues, the most important of whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-herf/though-anti-semitism-had-been-only-one-of-several-sources-of-nazi/) Jeffrey Herf > [Hitler and Joseph Goebbels understood that if you say something loud and long enough many people will believe it. A good journalist's first priority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/hitler-and-joseph-goebbels-understood-that-if-you-say-something-loud/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Himmler, Bormann, and Goebbels, they were probably bad fellows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-sauckel/himmler-bormann-and-goebbels-they-were-probably-bad-fellows/) [Fritz Sauckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-sauckel/) > [Advocating through art is known as propaganda. You should look up the name Goebbels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/advocating-through-art-is-known-as-propaganda-you-should-look-up-the/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [“Goebbels famously remarked that “men organize life: women are their support and implement their decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-lower/goebbels-famously-remarked-that-men-organize-life-women-are-their/) [Wendy Lower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-lower/) > [“Everyone seemed to just accept what was happening. The eradication of the individual, the reduction of the people to a faceless gray mass shouting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesper-bugge-kold/everyone-seemed-to-just-accept-what-was-happening-the-eradication-of/) Jesper Bugge Kold > [Goebbels was in favor of free speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you’re really in favor of free speech, then you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/goebbels-was-in-favor-of-free-speech-for-views-he-liked-so-was-stalin/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Leni Riefenstahl was the one person Goebbels had no control over in the filmmaking community of Nazi Germany, and they despised each other. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/leni-riefenstahl-was-the-one-person-goebbels-had-no-control-over-in/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) [Browse all 24 Goebbels quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goebbels/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And people would believe it, thought Hartmann, because people believed what they wanted to believe – that was Goebbels’s great insight. They no longer had any need to bother themselves with inconvenient truths. 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