Charles Caleb Colton Quotes

There are more fools than knaves in the world, else the knaves would not have enough to live upon.

One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.

People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it's true, or because they are afraid it might be true. People’s heads are full of knowledge, facts, and beliefs, and most of it is false, yet they think it all true. People are stupid; they can only rarely tell the difference between a lie and the truth, and yet they are confident they can, and so are all the easier to fool.

Precisely in proportion to our own intellectual weakness will be our credulity as to those mysterious powers assumed by others.

There is to some men a great Lechery in Lying, and imposing on the understandings of beleeving people.

A peculiar side of credulity is that it is often joined with a proneness to imposture. The association of believing and lying is not characteristic solely of children. They inability or unwillingness to see things as they are promotes both gullibility and charlatanism.

It is not difficult to deceive the first time, for the deceived possesses no antibodies; unvaccinated by suspicion, she overlooks lateness, accepts absurd excuses, permits the flimsiest patching to repair great rents in the quotidian.

Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.

Lies were only as strong as the suckers that believed them.

Man is the yokel par excellence, the booby unmatchable, the king dupe of the cosmos. He is chronically and unescapably deceived, not only by the other animals and by the delusive face of nature herself--by his incomparable talent for searching out and embracing what is false, and for overlooking and denying what is true.

Nothing convinces persons of a weak understanding so effectually, as what they do not comprehend.

The most outrageous lies that can be invented will find believers if a person only tells them with all his might.

Man seems to be an animal whose capacity for lies is only equalled by his credulity; it does no good to let battalions of cats outof bags, to produce whole harems of naked facts, people eat the same three meals daily deception, and are always ready to turn with fury upon the purveyors of bagless cats and facts undraped. Probably their instinct is wise. Who knows?

It is a blind goose that cometh to the fox's sermon.

So easy are men to be drawn to believe any thing, from such men as have gotten credit with them; and can with gentleness and dexterity take hold of their fear and ignorance.

Credulity is always a ridiculous, often a dangerous failing: it has made of many a clever man, a fool; and of many a good man, a knave.

No matter how smart or well-educated you are, you can be deceived.

Suspicion has its dupes, as well as credulity.

Cunning has effect from the credulity of others, rather than from the abilities of those who are cunning. It requires no extraordinary talents to lie and deceive.

Always remember that as long as other people are gullible, there's no limit to what you can achieve.

Anyone who believes what a cat tells him deserves all he gets.

No flattery, boy! an honest man cannot live by it; it is a little, sneaking art, which knaves use to cajole and soften fools withal.

Folks will say anything, and next time round they'll believe it.

There is none deceived but he that trusts.

Religion began when the first scoundrel met the first fool.