---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We tell ourselves how lovely it would be…"
description: "\"“We tell ourselves how lovely it would be, would it not, if there were a God who created the universe and benign Providence, a moral world order, and l..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/sigmund-freud-360_world-order_we-tell-ourselves-how-lovely-it-would-be_2502996.jpg"
---

#  We tell ourselves how lovely it would be, would it not, if…

![“We tell ourselves how lovely it would be, would it not, if there were a God who created the universe and benign Providence, a moral world order, and life beyond the grave, yet it is very evident, is it not, that all of this is the way we should inevitably wish it to be. And it would be even more…” quote by Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/sigmund-freud-360_world-order_we-tell-ourselves-how-lovely-it-would-be_2502996.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/sigmund-freud-360_world-order_we-tell-ourselves-how-lovely-it-would-be_2502996.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/sigmund-freud-360_world-order_we-tell-ourselves-how-lovely-it-would-be_2502996.jpg)

> ““We tell ourselves how lovely it would be, would it not, if there were a God who created the universe and benign Providence, a moral world order, and life beyond the grave, yet it is very evident, is it not, that all of this is the way we should inevitably wish it to be. And it would be even more remarkable if our poor, ignorant bondsman ancestors had managed to solve all these difficult cosmic questions.””

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

## About This Quote

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

Humans create God and moral order to satisfy deep desires, but this may be a projection of our own wishes rather than truth.

**In simple terms:** We invent God to fulfill our hopes.

Key Takeaway

Question our assumptions about divinity.

Themes

religion psychology human desire existentialism projection

Mood

skeptical thought‑provoking

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

- theology studies
- philosophy classes
- personal belief exploration

Key Concepts

Freudian theory cognitive bias mythmaking

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we need a higher power?
- What are the risks of believing in projected deities?

A Different Perspective

Such constructs can limit critical thinking.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[God Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-created/) [World order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-order/)

## Related quotes

> [“... you are lovely - God has painted every feature of your soul ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/you-are-lovely-god-has-painted-every-feature-of-your-soul/)

[John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/)

> [It is better to enter into life maimed but lovely in God’s sight than to appear lovely to man’s eyes but lame to God’s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/it-is-better-to-enter-into-life-maimed-but-lovely-in-god-s-sight-than/)

[Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/)

> [“The study of the galaxies reveals a universal order and beauty. It also shows us chaotic violence on a scale hitherto undreamed of. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-study-of-the-galaxies-reveals-a-universal-order-and-beauty-it/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [I think there is that very basic yearning for something or someone to be looking after us, for there to be a framework holding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-faber/i-think-there-is-that-very-basic-yearning-for-something-or-someone-to/)

[Michel Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-faber/)

> [The universe seems neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-universe-seems-neither-benign-nor-hostile-merely-indifferent/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [“Ann Druyan suggests an experiment: Look back again at the pale blue dot of the preceding chapter. Take a good long look at it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/ann-druyan-suggests-an-experiment-look-back-again-at-the-pale-blue/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [Doesn’t the God who created the universe out of nothing and put all the stars in place, have the power to take care of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/doesn-t-the-god-who-created-the-universe-out-of-nothing-and-put-all/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [“The God who created the universe is enough for us–even without our dreams…God was enough for the martyrs facing lions and fire–even when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-vischer/the-god-who-created-the-universe-is-enough-for-us-even-without-our/)

[Phil Vischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-vischer/)

> [When asked, 'What did God do before he created the universe?' St. Augustine didn´t reply, 'he was preparing Hell for people who asked such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/when-asked-what-did-god-do-before-he-created-the-universe-st/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [“When God created the universe, it was with the objective of making those He created partakers of His perfection and blessedness, thus showing forth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-murray/when-god-created-the-universe-it-was-with-the-objective-of-making/)

[Andrew Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-murray/)

> [One can imagine that God created the universe at literally any time in the past. On the other hand, if the universe is expanding,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/one-can-imagine-that-god-created-the-universe-at-literally-any-time/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [The Lord had the wonderful advantage of being able to work alone. Answering why he had not implemented organizational reforms after five months when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-lord-had-the-wonderful-advantage-of-being-able-to-work-alone/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [Before we understand science, it is natural to believe that God created the universe. But now science offers a more convincing explanation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/before-we-understand-science-it-is-natural-to-believe-that-god/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [“Consider again that pale blue dot...imagine that you take a good long look at it, imagine that you are starring at it for any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/consider-again-that-pale-blue-dot-imagine-that-you-take-a-good-long/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [God created the universe in such a manner that all in common might derive their food from it, and that the Earth should also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-ambrose/god-created-the-universe-in-such-a-manner-that-all-in-common-might/)

[Saint Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-ambrose/)

## More by Sigmund Freud

> [Anatomy is destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/anatomy-is-destiny/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [“Woe to you, my Princess, when I come. I will kiss you quite red and feed you till you are plump. And if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/woe-to-you-my-princess-when-i-come-i-will-kiss-you-quite-red-and-feed/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [I take up the standpoint that the tendency to aggression is an innate, independent, instinctual disposition in man, and I come back now to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/i-take-up-the-standpoint-that-the-tendency-to-aggression-is-an-innate/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [“Ko postavlja pitanje o smislu zivota,s njegovim libidom nije nesto u redu.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/ko-postavlja-pitanje-o-smislu-zivota-s-njegovim-libidom-nije-nesto-u/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [“When it comes to the small matters in life one should think long and hard, but when it comes to the big ones -whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/when-it-comes-to-the-small-matters-in-life-one-should-think-long-and/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [We like to forget that in fact everything in our life is chance, from our genesis out of the encounter of spermatozoon and egg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/we-like-to-forget-that-in-fact-everything-in-our-life-is-chance-from/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [We should picture the instrument that carries our mental functioning as resembling a compound microscope or photographic apparatus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/we-should-picture-the-instrument-that-carries-our-mental-functioning/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [The religions of mankind must be classed among the mass-delusions of this kind. No one, needless to say, who shares a delusion ever recognizes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/the-religions-of-mankind-must-be-classed-among-the-mass-delusions-of/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [It seems to be my fate to discover only the obvious: that children have sexual feelings, which every nurse maid knows; and that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/it-seems-to-be-my-fate-to-discover-only-the-obvious-that-children/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [The first requisite of civilization is that of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/the-first-requisite-of-civilization-is-that-of-justice/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [“Actually, the substitution of the reality-principle for the pleasure-principle denotes no dethronement of the pleasure-principle, but only a safeguarding of it. A momentary pleasure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/actually-the-substitution-of-the-reality-principle-for-the-pleasure/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/dreams-are-often-most-profound-when-they-seem-the-most-crazy/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [Against the suffering which may come upon one from human relationships the readiest safeguard is voluntary isolation, keeping oneself aloof from other people. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/against-the-suffering-which-may-come-upon-one-from-human/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [There is to my mind no doubt that the concept of beautiful had its roots in sexual excitation and that its original meaning was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/there-is-to-my-mind-no-doubt-that-the-concept-of-beautiful-had-its/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [The voice of the intellect is soft one, but it does not rest until it has gained a hearing. Ultimately, after endless rebuffs, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/the-voice-of-the-intellect-is-soft-one-but-it-does-not-rest-until-it/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

[Explore all 608 Sigmund Freud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

## More World order quotes

> [David Rockefeller is the most conspicuous representative today of the ruling class, a multinational fraternity of men who shape the global economy and manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/david-rockefeller-is-the-most-conspicuous-representative-today-of-the/)

[Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/)

> [When personal freedom's being abused, you have to move to limit it. That's what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-personal-freedom-s-being-abused-you-have-to-move-to-limit-it/)

[William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/)

> [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/)

[Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/)

> [“Marcia Wilson was a good example of Omega’s core strategy for creating a New World Order. It involved placing their people, or moles, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-morcan/marcia-wilson-was-a-good-example-of-omega-s-core-strategy-for/)

[James Morcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-morcan/)

> [Gentlemen, comrades, do not be concerned about all you hear about Glasnost and Perestroika and democracy in the coming years. They are primarily for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-gorbachev/gentlemen-comrades-do-not-be-concerned-about-all-you-hear-about/)

[Mikhail Gorbachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-gorbachev/)

> [Three hundred men, all of whom know one another, direct the economic destiny of Europe and choose their successors from among themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walther-rathenau/three-hundred-men-all-of-whom-know-one-another-direct-the-economic/)

[Walther Rathenau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walther-rathenau/)

> [The war in Iraq is a rare opportunity to move toward an historic period of cooperation. Out of these troubled times a new world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-war-in-iraq-is-a-rare-opportunity-to-move-toward-an-historic/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [We are moving towards a world that is reordering itself and that may appear more ordered at some periods of time, but I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-kissinger/we-are-moving-towards-a-world-that-is-reordering-itself-and-that-may/)

[Henry Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-kissinger/)

> [“Khomeini espoused a militant religious doctrine rejecting not only the Middle Eastern political order, but also the contemporary international system since both perpetuated an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/efraim-karsh/khomeini-espoused-a-militant-religious-doctrine-rejecting-not-only/)

[Efraim Karsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/efraim-karsh/)

> [The New World Order is a more palatable name for the Anglo American world empire. It's the planetary domination of London, New York, Washington…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-jones/the-new-world-order-is-a-more-palatable-name-for-the-anglo-american/)

[Alex Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-jones/)

> [The New World Order that is in the making must focus on the creation of a world of democracy, peace and prosperity for all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/the-new-world-order-that-is-in-the-making-must-focus-on-the-creation/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [“Cinderella does not represent contemporary girls. Today’s girls are no ‘damsels-in-distress.’ They figure and solve problems, invent solutions, and herald in the new world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-sequeira/cinderella-does-not-represent-contemporary-girls-today-s-girls-are-no/)

[Tina Sequeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-sequeira/)

> [For some time I have been disturbed by the way the CIA has been diverted from its original assignment. It has become an operational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/for-some-time-i-have-been-disturbed-by-the-way-the-cia-has-been/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [On the conservative side, today's libertarianism is far more dogmatic and devoid of qualification than the liberalism of Adam Smith or J.S. Mill. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lind/on-the-conservative-side-today-s-libertarianism-is-far-more-dogmatic/)

[Michael Lind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lind/)

> [“How dare the world be in order when her insides were broken?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-peach/how-dare-the-world-be-in-order-when-her-insides-were-broken/)

[Hanna Peach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-peach/)

[Browse all 333 World order quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-order/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“We tell ourselves how lovely it would be, would it not, if there were a God who created the universe and benign Providence, a moral world order, and life beyond the grave, yet it is very evident, is it not, that all of this is the way we should inevitably wish it to be. And it would be even more remarkable if our poor, ignorant bondsman ancestors had managed to solve all these difficult cosmic questions.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sigmund Freud"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/we-tell-ourselves-how-lovely-it-would-be-would-it-not-if-there-were-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "World order"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/we-tell-ourselves-how-lovely-it-would-be-would-it-not-if-there-were-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/sigmund-freud-360_world-order_we-tell-ourselves-how-lovely-it-would-be_2502996.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/sigmund-freud-360_world-order_we-tell-ourselves-how-lovely-it-would-be_2502996.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/sigmund-freud-360_world-order_we-tell-ourselves-how-lovely-it-would-be_2502996.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We tell ourselves how lovely it would be, would it not, if there were a God who created the universe and…” — Sigmund Freud",
                "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": "Sigmund Freud",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“We tell ourselves how lovely it...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/we-tell-ourselves-how-lovely-it-would-be-would-it-not-if-there-were-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/we-tell-ourselves-how-lovely-it-would-be-would-it-not-if-there-were-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
