--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who would appreciate such candor? No one…" description: "\"“Who would appreciate such candor? No one. None of us really likes honesty. We prefer deception –but only when it is unabashedly flattering or artfully..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58e/william-bonner-168319_better-place_who-would-appreciate-such-candor-no-one_888673.jpg" --- # Who would appreciate such candor? No one. None of us… ![“Who would appreciate such candor? No one. None of us really likes honesty. We prefer deception –but only when it is unabashedly flattering or artfully camouflaged. Groups seem to need to believe that they are superior to others and that they have a purpose greater than just passing along their…” quote by William Bonner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58e/william-bonner-168319_better-place_who-would-appreciate-such-candor-no-one_888673.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58e/william-bonner-168319_better-place_who-would-appreciate-such-candor-no-one_888673.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58e/william-bonner-168319_better-place_who-would-appreciate-such-candor-no-one_888673.jpg) > ““Who would appreciate such candor? No one. None of us really likes honesty. We prefer deception –but only when it is unabashedly flattering or artfully camouflaged. Groups seem to need to believe that they are superior to others and that they have a purpose greater than just passing along their genes to the next generation. Individuals seem to need similar delusions – about who they are and why they do what they do. They need heroes, however fraudulent… Studies show that people are more likely to accept the opinion of a confident con man than the cautious view of someone who actually knows what he is talking about. And professionals who form overconfident opinions on the basis of incorrect readings of the facts are more likely to succeed than their more competent peers who display greater doubt. What’s more, deception works best, according to studies by psychologists, when the person doing the deceiving is fool enough to be deceived, too; that is, when he believes his own lies. That is why incompetent leaders – who are naïve enough to fall for their own guff – are such a danger to civilized life. If they are modern leaders, they must also delude themselves into thinking they know how to make the world a better place. Invariably, the answers they propose to problems are ones that bubble up from their own vanity, the essence of which is to make the rest of the world look just like them!”” [William Bonner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bonner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People favor confident deceivers over cautious experts, leading to overconfidence, self‑deception, and dangerous leadership rooted in vanity. **In simple terms:** Confidence can mask deceit. Key Takeaway Question authority and seek evidence. Themes deception confidence leadership vanity self‑deception Mood cautionary analytical thought‑provoking Type Better place:0 Deception:1 Honesty:0 Leadership:1 Next generation:0 Overconfident:1 Truth:0 Con Man:1 Overconfident Opinions:0 Prefer Deception:0 Doubt Deception:0 When to use this quote - leadership training - critical thinking - media literacy Key Concepts psychology political science ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can we discern genuine expertise? - What mechanisms prevent self‑deception in leaders? A Different Perspective Overconfidence may be justified in some contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-place/) [Con Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/con-man/) [Deception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deception/) [Doubt Deception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt-deception-1124257/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Next generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-generation/) [Overconfident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overconfident/) [Overconfident Opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overconfident-opinions-1124255/) [Prefer Deception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prefer-deception-1124256/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [We're generally overconfident in our opinions and our impressions and judgments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/we-re-generally-overconfident-in-our-opinions-and-our-impressions-and/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“We cannot separate doubt from deception. 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I won't lie to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-levine/a-good-lawyer-is-part-con-man-part-priest-promising-riches/) [Paul Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-levine/) > [Every decent con man knows that the simplest truth is more powerful than even the most elaborate lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/every-decent-con-man-knows-that-the-simplest-truth-is-more-powerful/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [“near-deserted parking lot, both buildings looking freshly painted and hopeful for a marina in which there were no yachts. The biggest boat moored at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/near-deserted-parking-lot-both-buildings-looking-freshly-painted-and/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [My father was a good man, but he was a con man. He was a wanderer, nomadic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-aiello/my-father-was-a-good-man-but-he-was-a-con-man-he-was-a-wanderer/) [Danny Aiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-aiello/) > [“My letters seeking a job, though truthful, diminished the full truth. Face would blanch if the facts had been complete: "Dear Sir," I thought.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bunker/my-letters-seeking-a-job-though-truthful-diminished-the-full-truth/) [Edward Bunker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bunker/) > [No one helped my grandparents when a con man stole our house, or when I needed help paying for a plane ticket to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-harrison/no-one-helped-my-grandparents-when-a-con-man-stole-our-house-or-when/) [Jaime Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-harrison/) > [“Inej knew the moment Kaz entered the Slat. 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