--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You need to believe in things that aren't…" description: "\"You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?\" — Terry Pratchett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/terry-pratchett-19_believe_you-need-to-believe-in-things-that-aren_1697032.jpg" --- # You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else… ![“You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/terry-pratchett-19_believe_you-need-to-believe-in-things-that-aren_1697032.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/terry-pratchett-19_believe_you-need-to-believe-in-things-that-aren_1697032.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/terry-pratchett-19_believe_you-need-to-believe-in-things-that-aren_1697032.jpg) > “You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?” [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Belief in false ideas can become reality through collective acceptance. **In simple terms:** Faith in fiction can become real. Key Takeaway Question assumptions. Themes belief truth creation Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political narratives - marketing campaigns - cultural myths Key Concepts mythmaking social constructs imagination Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs shape your world? - How do you test their validity? A Different Perspective Risk of spreading misinformation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aren True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aren-true-1113124/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-things/) [Discworld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discworld/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Need Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-believe/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Things Aren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-aren/) ## Related quotes > [Where I'm from, we believe in all sorts of things that aren't true... we call it history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/where-i-m-from-we-believe-in-all-sorts-of-things-that-aren-t-true-we/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [We lie by not telling you things...We don't lie by telling you things that aren't true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/we-lie-by-not-telling-you-things-we-don-t-lie-by-telling-you-things/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) > [I don't like things that aren't true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/i-don-t-like-things-that-aren-t-true/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [And also, it's sort of my job to make you believe things about him that aren't true about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcdiarmid/and-also-it-s-sort-of-my-job-to-make-you-believe-things-about-him/) [Ian McDiarmid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcdiarmid/) > [“It's as valid to repeat to ourselves what we need to believe, as it is to believe in the things others repeatedly told us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/it-s-as-valid-to-repeat-to-ourselves-what-we-need-to-believe-as-it-is/) [Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/) > [Even if we don't believe in church or God, we still believe in things that are bigger than ourselves. We need to believe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-joyce/even-if-we-don-t-believe-in-church-or-god-we-still-believe-in-things/) [Rachel Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-joyce/) > [“You don't need to believe in God, but you do need the capacity to believe that things will get better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/you-don-t-need-to-believe-in-god-but-you-do-need-the-capacity-to/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“Don't wish , Miss Tick had said. Do things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/don-t-wish-miss-tick-had-said-do-things/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [A good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-good-bookshop-is-just-a-genteel-black-hole-that-knows-how-to-read/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Her books on alchemy were marvellous objects, every page a work of the engraver's art, but they nowhere contained instructions like "Be sure to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/her-books-on-alchemy-were-marvellous-objects-every-page-a-work-of-the/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“It was the way he wore the place. You expected him any moment to break into the kind of song that has suspicious rhymes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-was-the-way-he-wore-the-place-you-expected-him-any-moment-to-break/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Nature abhors a lot of things, including vacuums, ships called the Marie Celeste, and the chuck keys for electric drills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/nature-abhors-a-lot-of-things-including-vacuums-ships-called-the/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Sacharissa saw a movement. Boddony had pulled his axe out from under the bench. It was a traditional dwarf axe. One side was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/sacharissa-saw-a-movement-boddony-had-pulled-his-axe-out-from-under/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There was a steady drizzle when they left for the tower. Moist drove the cart, with the others sitting on the load behind him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-was-a-steady-drizzle-when-they-left-for-the-tower-moist-drove/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More by Terry Pratchett > [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-trust-folk-songs-they-always-sneak-up-on-you/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Magrat wondered what it was like, spending your whole life doing something you didn’t want to do. Like being dead, she considered, only worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/magrat-wondered-what-it-was-like-spending-your-whole-life-doing/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There were more old people. The world was full of them,' said the wizard. 'Yes, I know. And now it's full of young people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-were-more-old-people-the-world-was-full-of-them-said-the-wizard/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Hobson was big and heavyset, but not exactly fat; he was probably what you’d get if you shaved a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/hobson-was-big-and-heavyset-but-not-exactly-fat-he-was-probably-what/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?' said Reg encouragingly. 'I'd like a hard-boiled egg,' said Vimes, shaking the match out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-d-like-freedom-truth-and-justice-wouldn-t-you-comrade-sergeant/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You are not apprehensive, are you? I can't detect no trace of fear none whatsoever Roomy cranium all possible videos of all possible outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-are-not-apprehensive-are-you-i-can-t-detect-no-trace-of-fear-none/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/imagination-not-intelligence-made-us-human/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) [Explore all 3,328 Terry Pratchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. 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. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Pratchett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-need-to-believe-in-things-that-aren-t-true-how-else-can-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-need-to-believe-in-things-that-aren-t-true-how-else-can-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/terry-pratchett-19_believe_you-need-to-believe-in-things-that-aren_1697032.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/terry-pratchett-19_believe_you-need-to-believe-in-things-that-aren_1697032.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4db/terry-pratchett-19_believe_you-need-to-believe-in-things-that-aren_1697032.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You need to believe in things that aren't true. How else can they become?” — Terry Pratchett", "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": "Terry Pratchett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You need to believe in things...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-need-to-believe-in-things-that-aren-t-true-how-else-can-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-need-to-believe-in-things-that-aren-t-true-how-else-can-they/#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 } } ] } ```