--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When told that man lives in delusion…" description: "\"When told that man lives in delusion everyone thinks of himself as the exception; hence his delusion.\" — Vernon Howard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b0/vernon-howard-2173_delusion_when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-eve_120219.png" --- # When told that man lives in delusion everyone thinks of… ![“When told that man lives in delusion everyone thinks of himself as the exception; hence his delusion.” quote by Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b0/vernon-howard-2173_delusion_when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-eve_120219.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b0/vernon-howard-2173_delusion_when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-eve_120219.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b0/vernon-howard-2173_delusion_when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-eve_120219.png) > “When told that man lives in delusion everyone thinks of himself as the exception; hence his delusion.” [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People deny their own delusions by assuming they are unique, which paradoxically reinforces the very delusion they reject. **In simple terms:** We think we’re exempt from self‑deception, but that belief deepens it. Key Takeaway Self‑exemption fuels delusion. Themes self-awareness cognitive bias psychology Mood reflective critical Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - political rhetoric - personal relationships - organizational culture Key Concepts exceptionalism self‑deception Practical Applications - Encourage reflective questioning - Promote humility in decision‑making Questions to Reflect On - How does believing you’re an exception affect your judgments? - When might a delusion be beneficial? A Different Perspective Some delusions are adaptive, providing motivation or cohesion, so labeling all as negative may overlook functional aspects. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Hollywood is built on delusion. Everyone thinks they're more important than they are. 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I don’t say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/an-omelet-a-la-feb-she-corrected-him-i-can-t-say-that-he-told-her-why/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“Makin once told me that a man who's got no fear is missing a friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/makin-once-told-me-that-a-man-who-s-got-no-fear-is-missing-a-friend/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [But they told me a man should be faithful, and walk when not able, and fight till the end but I'm only Human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/but-they-told-me-a-man-should-be-faithful-and-walk-when-not-able-and/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [“Of course she'd told him she would, but if the man hadn't registered her sarcasm, then he wasn't making full use of his ears.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-connealy/of-course-she-d-told-him-she-would-but-if-the-man-hadn-t-registered/) [Mary Connealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-connealy/) > [Life is not having been told that the man has just waxed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/life-is-not-having-been-told-that-the-man-has-just-waxed-the-floor/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [My mama told me to find a man to take care Of me & he does buy me things but he beats on me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-mama/my-mama-told-me-to-find-a-man-to-take-care-of-me-he-does-buy-me/) [Lil Mama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-mama/) > [The three most destructive words that every man receives when he's a boy is when he's told to 'be a man'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-ehrmann/the-three-most-destructive-words-that-every-man-receives-when-he-s-a/) [Joe Ehrmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-ehrmann/) > [“he told me that a man must be responsible for any seed he sows, for it’s his duty to take care of a woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/he-told-me-that-a-man-must-be-responsible-for-any-seed-he-sows-for-it/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“I loved a man,"she said. "I told you - a man doesn't alter because you find out more about him. He's still the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/i-loved-a-man-she-said-i-told-you-a-man-doesn-t-alter-because-you/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [I grew up not understanding what was true and what was not true. It gave me a sense of unreality. I was told that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-simon/i-grew-up-not-understanding-what-was-true-and-what-was-not-true-it/) [Carly Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-simon/) > [“He wore his hair in a way that suggested he'd just rolled out of bed after thrashing all night. In an earlier decade, your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/he-wore-his-hair-in-a-way-that-suggested-he-d-just-rolled-out-of-bed/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“I love Paul O'Neill, but you could not pay me enough to work for him again" one official told me. "the man has never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/i-love-paul-o-neill-but-you-could-not-pay-me-enough-to-work-for-him/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) ## More by Vernon Howard > [“A self-working individual will be sitting around home one day when the startling thought occurs, “Here I am, sitting around, doing nothing of interest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/a-self-working-individual-will-be-sitting-around-home-one-day-when/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The terrible immoralities are the cunning ones hiding behind masks of morality, such as exploiting people while pretending to help them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-terrible-immoralities-are-the-cunning-ones-hiding-behind-masks-of/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [No one on earth can hurt you, unless you accept the hurt in your own mind. . . The problem is not other people;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/no-one-on-earth-can-hurt-you-unless-you-accept-the-hurt-in-your-own/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [To change what you get you must change who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/to-change-what-you-get-you-must-change-who-you-are/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Genuine kindness is not what we do, it is what we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/genuine-kindness-is-not-what-we-do-it-is-what-we-are/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [It is against the law to permit weak people to steal your strength. Never permit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/it-is-against-the-law-to-permit-weak-people-to-steal-your-strength/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Men have the illusion of having a duty to make the world spin properly, which is precisely what makes it wobble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/men-have-the-illusion-of-having-a-duty-to-make-the-world-spin/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Just as surely as distress must follow self-deceit, healing must follow self-honesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/just-as-surely-as-distress-must-follow-self-deceit-healing-must/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Quit thinking that you must halt before the barrier of inner negativity. You need not. You can crash through... whatever we see a negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/quit-thinking-that-you-must-halt-before-the-barrier-of-inner/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [One false idea is that anyone can hurt you. Events can ruin your reputation, take your money, mistreat you, revenge itself upon you, deceive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/one-false-idea-is-that-anyone-can-hurt-you-events-can-ruin-your/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Don't try to be unafraid. That is impossible. Rather, go ahead while being afraid. That is the entire secret for abolishing fear. The Supermind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/don-t-try-to-be-unafraid-that-is-impossible-rather-go-ahead-while/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The only way to do something truly important every day is to seek to understand yourself every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-only-way-to-do-something-truly-important-every-day-is-to-seek-to/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Make it absolutely clear to yourself what you want from other people. That is really half the secret for drawing your desire to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/make-it-absolutely-clear-to-yourself-what-you-want-from-other-people/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The only reason you do not do great things is because you timidly cling to small things. Will you let loose of small things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-only-reason-you-do-not-do-great-things-is-because-you-timidly/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Learn to see a problem from a higher level of understanding. Then, it dissolves before your eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/learn-to-see-a-problem-from-a-higher-level-of-understanding-then-it/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) [Explore all 181 Vernon Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) ## More Delusion quotes > [Getting rid of a delusion makes us wiser than getting hold of a truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-borne/getting-rid-of-a-delusion-makes-us-wiser-than-getting-hold-of-a-truth/) [Ludwig Borne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-borne/) > [If the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labour, entertainment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/if-the-idea-of-having-to-change-ourselves-makes-us-uncomfortable-we/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [The Science Delusion is the belief that science already understands the nature of reality in principle leaving only the details to be filled in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-sheldrake/the-science-delusion-is-the-belief-that-science-already-understands/) [Rupert Sheldrake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-sheldrake/) > [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“we shouldn’t surrender our real world perception to a false reality too much or we may suffer the inevitable consequences of deluded thinking. Technology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-p-neary/we-shouldn-t-surrender-our-real-world-perception-to-a-false-reality/) M.P. Neary > [Atheism Explained is a gem. It is clear, informative, well-argued, provocative, often witty, and unfailingly interesting. David Ramsay Steele ranges over so many issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-shearmur/atheism-explained-is-a-gem-it-is-clear-informative-well-argued/) Jeremy Shearmur > [It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh-meat of any kind is essential to health. Considerably more than three parts of the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-booth/it-is-a-great-delusion-to-suppose-that-flesh-meat-of-any-kind-is/) [Catherine Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-booth/) > [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/) > [I suffer from the delusion that every product of my imagination is not only possible, but always on the cusp of becoming real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-parker/i-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-every-product-of-my-imagination-is/) [Sean Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-parker/) > [I have a theory about marriage, Monsieur Boustouler. And it's that nearly always you will know within two weeks if it's going to work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-have-a-theory-about-marriage-monsieur-boustouler-and-it-s-that/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“Someone who has the delusion Glass, is made of, does not literally believe herself to be made of glass but rather feels fragile and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/someone-who-has-the-delusion-glass-is-made-of-does-not-literally/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [Paranoia is a state of heightened awareness. Most people are persecuted beyond their wildest delusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-steiner/paranoia-is-a-state-of-heightened-awareness-most-people-are/) Claude Steiner > [Women are women, and so are men, and the delusion that we are spiritually separate from or are about to spiritually separate from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anohni/women-are-women-and-so-are-men-and-the-delusion-that-we-are/) [Anohni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anohni/) > [I'd actually love to think that I could trust Kerry on national security. But the only way I could do that, at this point,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/i-d-actually-love-to-think-that-i-could-trust-kerry-on-national/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) [Browse all 1,172 Delusion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When told that man lives in delusion everyone thinks of himself as the exception; hence his delusion.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vernon Howard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-everyone-thinks-of-himself-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Delusion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-everyone-thinks-of-himself-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b0/vernon-howard-2173_delusion_when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-eve_120219.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b0/vernon-howard-2173_delusion_when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-eve_120219.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b0/vernon-howard-2173_delusion_when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-eve_120219.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When told that man lives in delusion everyone thinks of himself as the exception; hence his delusion.” — Vernon Howard", "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": "Vernon Howard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When told that man lives in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-everyone-thinks-of-himself-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-everyone-thinks-of-himself-as/#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 } } ] } ```