--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anyone can lie. One need only have the…" description: "\"Anyone can lie. One need only have the requisite intention - in other words, to say something with the intention to deceive. Faking, by contrast, is an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0a/roger-scruton-971_achievement_anyone-can-lie-one-need-only-have-the-re_1400929.jpg" --- # Anyone can lie. One need only have the requisite intention… ![“Anyone can lie. One need only have the requisite intention - in other words, to say something with the intention to deceive. Faking, by contrast, is an achievement. To fake things you have to take people in, yourself included.” quote by Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0a/roger-scruton-971_achievement_anyone-can-lie-one-need-only-have-the-re_1400929.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0a/roger-scruton-971_achievement_anyone-can-lie-one-need-only-have-the-re_1400929.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0a/roger-scruton-971_achievement_anyone-can-lie-one-need-only-have-the-re_1400929.jpg) > “Anyone can lie. One need only have the requisite intention - in other words, to say something with the intention to deceive. Faking, by contrast, is an achievement. To fake things you have to take people in, yourself included.” [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote distinguishes lying, which requires intent to deceive, from faking, which is a skillful performance that can involve self‑deception. **In simple terms:** Lying is intentional deception; faking is a crafted illusion. Key Takeaway Beware of both deception and self‑deception. Themes ethics philosophy truth communication Mood analytical philosophical Type ethical intellectual When to use this quote - legal testimony - media - personal relationships - creative arts Key Concepts intentionality performance self‑deception Questions to Reflect On - When does faking become harmful? - Can self‑deception ever be justified? A Different Perspective May blur moral distinctions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Intention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intention/) [Lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [“Faking depends on a measure of complicity between the perpetrator and the victim, who together conspire to believe what they don’t believe and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/faking-depends-on-a-measure-of-complicity-between-the-perpetrator-and/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“Sometimes you lie to deceive people. Sometimes you lie because you need the lie to become the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/sometimes-you-lie-to-deceive-people-sometimes-you-lie-because-you/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“She stood. He Stood. They stood on different corners with cardboard signs. Signs that read "Why lie? I need love." signs. © 2013 All Rights Reserved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonia-perdu-millie-farquoix/she-stood-he-stood-they-stood-on-different-corners-with-cardboard/) Antonia Perdu Millie Farquoix > [She turned to Frizz. "So you understand the problem? You can't let Tally know about Radical Honesty. There's no telling what she'll do if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/she-turned-to-frizz-so-you-understand-the-problem-you-can-t-let-tally/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [“Answer questions with questions. If you are caught in a lie, lie again. 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You sound pathetic even from my bed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-mcadams/any-you-really-need-to-work-on-faking-it-you-sound-pathetic-even-from/) [Molly McAdams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-mcadams/) ## More by Roger Scruton > [Beauty is vanishing from our world because we live as though it does not matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/beauty-is-vanishing-from-our-world-because-we-live-as-though-it-does/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“So conceived, the English police force served to emphasize a fundamental truth about the English law, which is that it exists not to control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/so-conceived-the-english-police-force-served-to-emphasize-a/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [My 2018 ended with a hate storm, in response to my appointment as chair of the government's Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/my-2018-ended-with-a-hate-storm-in-response-to-my-appointment-as/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [I've never been an optimist, but that's fine because pessimists have the possibility of being agreeably surprised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-ve-never-been-an-optimist-but-that-s-fine-because-pessimists-have/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Unlike every other product that is now manufactured for the table, wine exists in as many varieties as there are people who produce it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/unlike-every-other-product-that-is-now-manufactured-for-the-table/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [The abstract, unreal freedom of the liberal intellect was really nothing more than childish disobedience, amplified into anarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/the-abstract-unreal-freedom-of-the-liberal-intellect-was-really/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“I think we can all see the force of the idea that there are certain things that cannot be done to human beings –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-think-we-can-all-see-the-force-of-the-idea-that-there-are-certain/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [When art becomes merely shock value, our sense of humanity is slowly degraded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/when-art-becomes-merely-shock-value-our-sense-of-humanity-is-slowly/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“Western democracies did not create the virtue of citizenship; on the contrary, they grew from it. 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