Blaise Pascal Quotes

The world is grown so full of dissimulation and compliment, that men's words are hardly any signification of their thoughts.

Although a skillful flatterer is a most delightful companion if you have him all to yourself, his taste becomes very doubtful when he takes to complimenting other people.

Knavery and flattery are blood relations.

I'm really good at pretending.

I don't think there is a single character in 'The Graduate' that is not a phony, to one degree or another, except Benjamin and Elaine, and only in the scenes when they are alone together.

We are living in a world where everything is false. The society is like bright paint applied on top of rotten wood.

I'm not honest, but you're interesting!

In Leon's account of his life, no-one was mean-spirited, no-one schemed or lied or betrayed; everyone was celebrated at least in some degree... Leon turned out to be a spineless, grinning idiot.

I'm not always sincere. One can't be in this world, you know.

We none of us talk to people as we do behind their backs.

Human life is thus only a perpetual illusion; men deceive and flatter each other. No one speaks of us in our presence as he does of us in our absence. Human society is founded on mutual deceit; few friendships would endure if each knew what his friend said of him in his absence, although he then spoke in sincerity and without passion.

Though flattery blossoms like friendship, yet there is a vast difference in the fruit.

One of my weaknesses happens to be lying, and I could tell you that I'm never going to lie again in my life, but that would be a lie.

A man of such obvious and exemplary charm must be a liar.

Hateful to me as are the gates of hell, Is he who, hiding one thing in his heart, Utters another.

Discretion is the polite word for hypocrisy.

Out of five hundred who speak glibly of love, not one can spell the first letter of his name.

I was raised to be charming, not sincere.

Bad faith likes discourse on friendship and loyalty.

Ostentation is the signal flag of hypocrisy.

He who knows how to flatter also knows how to slander.

Thank you, people who say 'Wow, you're really photogenic,' for not saying what you really mean: 'Wow, you're really ugly in person.'

Certainly, it seems true enough that there's a good deal of irony in the world... I mean, if you live in a world full of politicians and advertising, there's obviously a lot of deception.

You scratch a preacher a little bit, and you'll get an actor.

In our lives in a lot of ways it's all about fake. You've got people wanting things for fake reasons.