---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I often tend to think that things are not…"
description: "\"I often tend to think that things are not what they seem.\" — Robert J. Shiller"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/robert-j-shiller-8591_often_i-often-tend-to-think-that-things-are-no_3024355.jpg"
---

#  I often tend to think that things are not what they seem.

![“I often tend to think that things are not what they seem.” quote by Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/robert-j-shiller-8591_often_i-often-tend-to-think-that-things-are-no_3024355.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/robert-j-shiller-8591_often_i-often-tend-to-think-that-things-are-no_3024355.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/robert-j-shiller-8591_often_i-often-tend-to-think-that-things-are-no_3024355.jpg)

> “I often tend to think that things are not what they seem.”

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Things often appear different from reality, urging skepticism and deeper analysis.

**In simple terms:** Appearances can be deceptive.

Key Takeaway

Question surface impressions.

Themes

economics psychology perception

Mood

cautious analytical

Type

financial philosophical

When to use this quote

- investment decisions
- policy analysis
- education curricula

Key Concepts

behavioral finance cognitive bias critical thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- When should we trust intuition?
- How do we balance doubt with confidence?

A Different Perspective

Over‑skepticism can hinder action.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [I can tend to over-think things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-margulies/i-can-tend-to-over-think-things/)

[Julianna Margulies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-margulies/)

> [Unfortunately, because aging is so common and natural, we tend to think of it as destiny or something we should accept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-andrew-sinclair/unfortunately-because-aging-is-so-common-and-natural-we-tend-to-think/)

[David Andrew Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-andrew-sinclair/)

> [Based on the people l've spoken to, I think the impression is: Is America safer from Al Qaeda? Yes. Is America weaker as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/based-on-the-people-l-ve-spoken-to-i-think-the-impression-is-is/)

[Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/)

> [“I tend to think too much, Bast. My greatest successes came from decisions I made when I stopped thinking and simply did what felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-tend-to-think-too-much-bast-my-greatest-successes-came-from-2/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I tend to think things are love and then look back and reevaluate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-tend-to-think-things-are-love-and-then-look-back-and-reevaluate/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

> [I tend to think year-by-year and tournament-by-tournament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-taylor/i-tend-to-think-year-by-year-and-tournament-by-tournament/)

[Katie Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-taylor/)

> [I thought you were different. I tend to think that about everyone, though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-thought-you-were-different-i-tend-to-think-that-about-everyone/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“In the face of every type of pain, we tend to think that life will never be the same, but guess what, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/in-the-face-of-every-type-of-pain-we-tend-to-think-that-life-will/)

[Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/)

> [A lot of people tend to think I'm a dogmatic ideologue, which I'm not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/a-lot-of-people-tend-to-think-i-m-a-dogmatic-ideologue-which-i-m-not/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [People tend to think I'm insane, and I'm really tired of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-power/people-tend-to-think-i-m-insane-and-i-m-really-tired-of-it/)

[Cat Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-power/)

> [I tend to think that you fulfill your own destiny, whether you realize it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/i-tend-to-think-that-you-fulfill-your-own-destiny-whether-you-realize/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [“smarter people tend to think more like economists”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/smarter-people-tend-to-think-more-like-economists/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [We tend to think of prayer, in spite of ourselves, in terms of profit and loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-quoist/we-tend-to-think-of-prayer-in-spite-of-ourselves-in-terms-of-profit/)

[Michel Quoist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-quoist/)

> [People tend to think I'm a lot more earnest than I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/people-tend-to-think-i-m-a-lot-more-earnest-than-i-am/)

[Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/)

> [“We tend to think that if you don't know where you're goin, you don't belong where you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/we-tend-to-think-that-if-you-don-t-know-where-you-re-goin-you-don-t/)

[john irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

## More by Robert J. Shiller

> [This is an anxiety driven world - the whole world is driven by anxiety. It is anxiety about the aftermath of the global financial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/this-is-an-anxiety-driven-world-the-whole-world-is-driven-by-anxiety/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [The future is always coming up with surprises for us, and the best way to insulate yourself from these surprises is to diversify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/the-future-is-always-coming-up-with-surprises-for-us-and-the-best-way/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [Can a controlled experiment explain why people like Kewpie dolls in one year, Beanie Babies in another, and American Girl dolls this year? Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/can-a-controlled-experiment-explain-why-people-like-kewpie-dolls-in/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [News media stimulate bubbles, since stories about them boost their audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/news-media-stimulate-bubbles-since-stories-about-them-boost-their/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [Diversify, because that helps reduce risk. And you can diversify outside the United States. Some people would never invest in Europe - I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/diversify-because-that-helps-reduce-risk-and-you-can-diversify/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [I want to know diverse facts about such things as galaxies or molecules or proteins or insect species. I have an impulse to want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/i-want-to-know-diverse-facts-about-such-things-as-galaxies-or/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [When I see the Trump supporters on television explaining themselves, I don't get a feeling of supreme confidence. They've created a revolution, and now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/when-i-see-the-trump-supporters-on-television-explaining-themselves-i/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [I didn't vote for Trump. So we've got him. Let's hope for the best. He might do something good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/i-didn-t-vote-for-trump-so-we-ve-got-him-let-s-hope-for-the-best-he/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [Stock prices are likely to be among the prices that are relatively vulnerable to purely social movements because there is no accepted theory by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/stock-prices-are-likely-to-be-among-the-prices-that-are-relatively/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [Yes, horoscopes still persist in popular newspapers, but they are there only for the severely scientifically challenged, or for entertainment; the idea that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/yes-horoscopes-still-persist-in-popular-newspapers-but-they-are-there/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [Money management has been a profession involving a lot of fakery - people saying they can beat the market, and they really can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/money-management-has-been-a-profession-involving-a-lot-of-fakery/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [As far as I can find, almost no one in the profession - not even luminaries like John Maynard Keynes, Friedrich Hayek, or Irving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/as-far-as-i-can-find-almost-no-one-in-the-profession-not-even/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [A lot of people aren't saving enough. And incidentally, people are living longer now, and health care is improving. You might end up retired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/a-lot-of-people-aren-t-saving-enough-and-incidentally-people-are/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [I think we do need to try to not just rely on the central bank to, in its wisdom, adjust interest rates, but allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/i-think-we-do-need-to-try-to-not-just-rely-on-the-central-bank-to-in/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

> [My father, Benjamin Shiller, told me not to believe in authorities or celebrities - that society tends to imagine them as superhuman. It's good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/my-father-benjamin-shiller-told-me-not-to-believe-in-authorities-or/)

[Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

[Explore all 79 Robert J. Shiller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/)

## More Often quotes

> [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/)

[Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/)

> [The public, more often than not, will forgive mistakes, but it will not forgive trying to wiggle out of one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-grizzard/the-public-more-often-than-not-will-forgive-mistakes-but-it-will-not/)

[Lewis Grizzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-grizzard/)

> [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/)

[Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/)

> [In summer, my Sundays are often taken up with cricket. I play with a bunch of other over-competitive and overenthusiastic guys who I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-elliot/in-summer-my-sundays-are-often-taken-up-with-cricket-i-play-with-a/)

[Ben Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elliot/)

> [People should say 'no comment' more often. No comment! I love no comment. Let's have more no comment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/people-should-say-no-comment-more-often-no-comment-i-love-no-comment/)

[Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/)

> [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/)

[Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/)

> [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/)

[Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/)

> [I liked climbing trees and could often be found up one reading a book. I played games with Dad and drew maps for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/i-liked-climbing-trees-and-could-often-be-found-up-one-reading-a-book/)

[Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/)

> [Brush your teeth often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-yard/brush-your-teeth-often/)

[Sherry Yard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-yard/)

> [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/)

[Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/)

> [I was under so much pressure. I often felt scared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sulli/i-was-under-so-much-pressure-i-often-felt-scared/)

[Sulli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sulli/)

> [Every scene is a challenge. There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/)

[Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/)

> [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/)

[Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/)

> [It goes way, way back when we were under Sweden's rule. We always think they are better than us. We played against them so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saku-koivu/it-goes-way-way-back-when-we-were-under-sweden-s-rule-we-always-think/)

[Saku Koivu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saku-koivu/)

Browse all 2,273 Often quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I often tend to think that things are not what they seem.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert J. Shiller"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/i-often-tend-to-think-that-things-are-not-what-they-seem/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Often"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/i-often-tend-to-think-that-things-are-not-what-they-seem/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/robert-j-shiller-8591_often_i-often-tend-to-think-that-things-are-no_3024355.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/robert-j-shiller-8591_often_i-often-tend-to-think-that-things-are-no_3024355.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/285/robert-j-shiller-8591_often_i-often-tend-to-think-that-things-are-no_3024355.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I often tend to think that things are not what they seem.” — Robert J. Shiller",
                "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": "Robert J. Shiller",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I often tend to think that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/i-often-tend-to-think-that-things-are-not-what-they-seem/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/i-often-tend-to-think-that-things-are-not-what-they-seem/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
