--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Denial may be neither a matter of telling…" description: "\"“Denial may be neither a matter of telling the truth nor intentionally telling a lie. There seem to be states of mind, or even whole cultures, in which..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/stanley-cohen-107225_denial_denial-may-be-neither-a-matter-of-tellin_2909417.jpg" --- # Denial may be neither a matter of telling the truth nor… ![“Denial may be neither a matter of telling the truth nor intentionally telling a lie. There seem to be states of mind, or even whole cultures, in which we know and don't know at the same time.” quote by Stanley Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/stanley-cohen-107225_denial_denial-may-be-neither-a-matter-of-tellin_2909417.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/stanley-cohen-107225_denial_denial-may-be-neither-a-matter-of-tellin_2909417.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/stanley-cohen-107225_denial_denial-may-be-neither-a-matter-of-tellin_2909417.jpg) > ““Denial may be neither a matter of telling the truth nor intentionally telling a lie. There seem to be states of mind, or even whole cultures, in which we know and don't know at the same time.”” Stanley Cohen ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Denial can exist without conscious intent, allowing individuals or cultures to simultaneously know and not know something. **In simple terms:** People can be unaware of what they both know and don’t. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden contradictions in belief systems. Themes psychology cognition culture truth denial Mood analytical thoughtful serious Type Denial:1 Psychology:1 Telling the truth:0 Telling truth:0 Truth:1 Telling Lie:0 Cultures Know:0 Denial Matter:1 When to use this quote - personal reflection - social analysis - therapy Key Concepts cognitive dissonance social epistemology collective ignorance Questions to Reflect On - What situations trigger unintentional denial? - How does culture shape collective blind spots? A Different Perspective Denial may be a protective mechanism, not just a flaw. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Telling the truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-the-truth/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Because your eyes are always honest ; they will always be telling the truth even if your mouth is telling a lie .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-your-eyes-are-always-honest-they-will-always-be-telling-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Telling the truth and making someone to cry is better than telling a lie and to making someone smile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkemjika-linus/telling-the-truth-and-making-someone-to-cry-is-better-than-telling-a/) [Nkemjika Linus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkemjika-linus/) > [Telling the truth and making someone cry is better than telling a lie and making someone smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/telling-the-truth-and-making-someone-cry-is-better-than-telling-a-lie/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Telling a lie is called wrong. Telling the truth is called right. Except when telling the truth is called bad manners and telling a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/telling-a-lie-is-called-wrong-telling-the-truth-is-called-right/) [Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/) > [Id rather be hated for telling the truth than be loved for telling a lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/id-rather-be-hated-for-telling-the-truth-than-be-loved-for-telling-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Telling the truth is less demanding than telling a lie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eraldo-banovac/telling-the-truth-is-less-demanding-than-telling-a-lie/) [Eraldo Banovac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eraldo-banovac/) > [Most people don't care if you're telling them the truth or if you're telling them a lie, as long as they're entertained by it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/most-people-don-t-care-if-you-re-telling-them-the-truth-or-if-you-re-2/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [“Telling a lie causes more centres of the brain to light up than telling the truth. Telling a lie implies that you know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/telling-a-lie-causes-more-centres-of-the-brain-to-light-up-than/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [Telling the truth and making someone cry is better then telling a lie and making someone smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/telling-the-truth-and-making-someone-cry-is-better-then-telling-a-lie/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I would rather be blamed for telling the truth than freed for telling a lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/i-would-rather-be-blamed-for-telling-the-truth-than-freed-for-telling/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [Telling the truth is much better then telling a lie that will sooner or later you will have to explain. By then.. It's to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolo-price/telling-the-truth-is-much-better-then-telling-a-lie-that-will-sooner/) Yolo\_\_price > [If there was twenty ways of telling the truth and only one way of telling a lie, the Government would find it out. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/if-there-was-twenty-ways-of-telling-the-truth-and-only-one-way-of/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [And even a liar can be scared into telling the truth, same as honest man can be tortured into telling a lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/and-even-a-liar-can-be-scared-into-telling-the-truth-same-as-honest/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Most people don't care if you're telling them the truth or if you're telling them a lie, as long as they're entertained by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/most-people-don-t-care-if-you-re-telling-them-the-truth-or-if-you-re/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [With all the justifications I have had in place, telling the truth under certain circumstances was in my universe no different than telling a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-rinder/with-all-the-justifications-i-have-had-in-place-telling-the-truth/) Mike Rinder ## More by Stanley Cohen > [My initial interest, just prior to my work on cytokines, was on cell-mediated immunity and delayed hypersensitivity, mostly with respect to the cells that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-cohen/my-initial-interest-just-prior-to-my-work-on-cytokines-was-on-cell/) Stanley Cohen Explore all 2 Stanley Cohen quotes ## More Denial quotes > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [A mistake doesnt make you a fool, but denying it surely makes you one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-mistake-doesnt-make-you-a-fool-but-denying-it-surely-makes-you-one/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [It is through suppression that hells are formed in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/it-is-through-suppression-that-hells-are-formed-in-us/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [Atheist’s denial of God’s existence needs just as much substantiation as does the theist’s claim; the atheist must give plausible reasons for rejecting God’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-copan/atheist-s-denial-of-god-s-existence-needs-just-as-much-substantiation/) [Paul Copan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-copan/) > [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [What you try to bury just ends up burying you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wagner/what-you-try-to-bury-just-ends-up-burying-you/) [Jane Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wagner/) > [Its up to any government to decide how to react to the denial of basic human rights anywhere in the world, including Egypt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/its-up-to-any-government-to-decide-how-to-react-to-the-denial-of/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Living in denial only makes finding the truth that much harder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-f/living-in-denial-only-makes-finding-the-truth-that-much-harder/) Jules F > [Sanity can take one of only two forms: that of ignorance, or denial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-r-audette/sanity-can-take-one-of-only-two-forms-that-of-ignorance-or-denial/) [Derek R. Audette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-r-audette/) > [Denial leads to closure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marwin-machiaveli/denial-leads-to-closure/) Aruho Marwin Machiaveli > [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [It is not a question of who dances but of who or what does not dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/it-is-not-a-question-of-who-dances-but-of-who-or-what-does-not-dance/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [What’s looming in the shadows of our ignorance and denial is a critique of civilization itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lierre-keith/what-s-looming-in-the-shadows-of-our-ignorance-and-denial-is-a/) [Lierre Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lierre-keith/) > [“You can hold on to the smallest doubt and take comfort in it, stay in denial and go on with your carefree life, until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/you-can-hold-on-to-the-smallest-doubt-and-take-comfort-in-it-stay-in/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) [Browse all 1,463 Denial quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Denial may be neither a matter of telling the truth nor intentionally telling a lie. 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