William Osler Quotes

To most of us nothing is so invisible as an unpleasant truth. Though it is held before our eyes, pushed under our noses, rammed down our throats- we know it not.

We have a never sated appetite for self deception.

People believed what they wanted to believe, no matter what was right in front of their eyes.

The easiest person to deceive is one's self.

A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.

People don't want to hear the truth; they never do. They wanna live in some kind of fantasy.

In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant. One motto on the show is, 'Keep your facts, I'm going with the truth.'

We should not be upset that others hide the truth from us, when we hide it so often from ourselves

The human race's favorite method for being in control of facts is to ignore them.

Truth is not always the best basis for happiness. There are certain lies which may constitute a far better and more secure foundation of happiness. There are people who perish when their eyes are opened.

There is such a thing as truth, but we have a vested interest in not seeing it, in avoiding it.

If we choose, we can live in a world of comforting illusion.

I think the greatest illusion we have is that denial protects us. It's actually the biggest distortion and lie. In fact, staying asleep is what's killing us.

Rationalization may be defined as self-deception by reasoning.

He occasionally stumbled over the truth, but hastily picked himself up and hurried on as if nothing had happened.

Politicians: Some are ignorant; some are not ignorant, but those who are ignorant don't want to know. The psychologists call it denial.

People deny things that are true all the time.

Between knowing and not knowing is not wanting to know.

The worst deluded are the self-deluded.

Sometimes you don't want the truth. Sometimes you're like, "Oh just tell me the good answer. I don't want the truth."

Nothing is easier than self-deceit.

Only fools imagine they are already awake. How clearly they understand everything! How easily they distinguish this deception from that reality!

A form of self-delusion.

The greater your powers of self-delusion, the greater will be the apparent efficacy of this untruth.

It is in the ability to deceive oneself that the greatest talent is shown.