--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never believe extraordinary characters…" description: "\"Never believe extraordinary characters which you hear of people. Depend upon it, they are exaggerated. You do not see one man shoot a great deal higher..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/samuel-johnson-50_believe_never-believe-extraordinary-characters-w_885316.png" --- # Never believe extraordinary characters which you hear of… ![“Never believe extraordinary characters which you hear of people. Depend upon it, they are exaggerated. You do not see one man shoot a great deal higher than another.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/samuel-johnson-50_believe_never-believe-extraordinary-characters-w_885316.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/samuel-johnson-50_believe_never-believe-extraordinary-characters-w_885316.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f47/samuel-johnson-50_believe_never-believe-extraordinary-characters-w_885316.png) > “Never believe extraordinary characters which you hear of people. Depend upon it, they are exaggerated. You do not see one man shoot a great deal higher than another.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Extraordinary stories are often embellished; reality shows people are similar in ability. **In simple terms:** Stories are exaggerated; people are alike. Key Takeaway Question claims, expect realism. Themes skepticism reality storytelling Mood critical inquisitive Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - reading news - evaluating rumors - teaching critical thinking Key Concepts hyperbole human similarity Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify extraordinary claims? - When is exaggeration acceptable? A Different Perspective Exaggeration can be useful for inspiration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Extraordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-extraordinary-1092467/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Depend Exaggerated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depend-exaggerated-1092465/) [Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depends/) [Exaggerated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exaggerated/) [Exaggerated Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exaggerated-man-1092464/) [Exaggeration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exaggeration/) [Extraordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary/) [Extraordinary Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary-characters-1092466/) [Higher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [One man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-man/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [It takes a little more time to get into the role, but not very much more. In making a record you don't have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-callas/it-takes-a-little-more-time-to-get-into-the-role-but-not-very-much/) [Maria Callas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-callas/) > [Mark Twain put it best when he said, 'Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated,.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/mark-twain-put-it-best-when-he-said-reports-of-my-demise-are-greatly/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [If our intelligence is either manipulated or if it's shaded or if in some way it is exaggerated, it is very, very dangerous for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/if-our-intelligence-is-either-manipulated-or-if-it-s-shaded-or-if-in/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [Rumors of coal's demise may have been greatly exaggerated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-johnson/rumors-of-coal-s-demise-may-have-been-greatly-exaggerated/) [Alan Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-johnson/) > [Remembering is a necessary rebuke to those who say the Holocaust never happened or has been exaggerated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/remembering-is-a-necessary-rebuke-to-those-who-say-the-holocaust/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Exaggeration can lend action scenes more force, but I like to stick to more realistic figures: They help keep the cool in the action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masashi-kishimoto/exaggeration-can-lend-action-scenes-more-force-but-i-like-to-stick-to/) [Masashi Kishimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masashi-kishimoto/) > [“I don’t believe in God. But sitting there, in a room full of those who feel otherwise, I realize that I do believe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-don-t-believe-in-god-but-sitting-there-in-a-room-full-of-those-who/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“never believe that you are anything less then extraordinary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiden-blake/never-believe-that-you-are-anything-less-then-extraordinary/) [Kaiden Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiden-blake/) > [I don’t believe in extraordinary concatenations of coincidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/i-don-t-believe-in-extraordinary-concatenations-of-coincidence/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [I believe that the extraordinary should be pursued. But extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/i-believe-that-the-extraordinary-should-be-pursued-but-extraordinary/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“I realize i do believe in people. In their strength to help each other, and to thrive in spite of the odds. I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-realize-i-do-believe-in-people-in-their-strength-to-help-each-other/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“It is difficult to believe extraordinary things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-rundell/it-is-difficult-to-believe-extraordinary-things/) [Katherine Rundell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-rundell/) > [“I believe that the extraordinary trumps the ordinary, any day. I believe that having something to hope for - even if it's just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-believe-that-the-extraordinary-trumps-the-ordinary-any-day-i/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [How many may a man of diffusive conversation count among his acquaintances, whose lives have been signalized by numberless escapes; who never cross the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/how-many-may-a-man-of-diffusive-conversation-count-among-his/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [So true is it that all transactions of preeminent importance are wrapt in doubt and obscurity; while some hold for certain facts the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/so-true-is-it-that-all-transactions-of-preeminent-importance-are/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. 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But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. 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