Caleb Carr Quotes

Most people like to live in illusions.

How much rationality and higher protection there is in such self-deception, and how much falseness I still require in order to allow myself again and again the luxury of my sincerity.

People have a habit of inventing fictions they will believe wholeheartedly in order to ignore the truth they cannot accept.

Some people have a difficult time facing truth and reality. They prefer to live in a make-believe world, pretending that certain things aren't happening.

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

We don’t like to face unpleasant reality. We want our leaders to tell us what we want to hear …. You cannot manipulate reality. Reality will real its ugly head

We are a culture of people who've bought into the idea that if we stay busy enough, the truth of our lives won't catch up with us.

All I can do is stand still- I feel like if I just stand still, I can stop it from being true, I can pretend that everything is all right.

The worst of all deceptions is self-deception.

There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who want to know the facts, and those who want to make up a nice story to feel better. I wish I was the kind who made up stories.

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

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

Like the ostrich, head under wingWhen the roaring storm breaks,So many people take refugeUnder the soft pillowOf specious arguments.

We lie best when we lie to ourselves.

I'm really interested in self-deception. Really interested in how people live in bubble universes. How people can fail to see the seemingly obvious.

It is natural to man to indulge in the illusion of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, till she transforms us into beasts.

Truth is too simple for us: we do not like those who unmask our illusions.

People don't like to hear the truth out here cause the truth makes them think.

Really, according to the shrinks, I am angry at everyone ever. Especially them. I am all anger and resentment all the time. Not one of them has ever suggested that maybe I lie because the world is better the way I tell it.

Deception is mostly a game we play with ourselves.

Depending on the reality one must face, one may prefer to opt for illusion.

Sometimes, though, you make a pact with yourself. I'll pretend there's nothing wrong if you pretend there's nothing wrong. It's called denial, and it's one of the strongest pacts in the world. Just ask all those people who were still drinking champagne while the Titanic went down.

The realist lies for advantage. The fantasist lies to give his dreams a flavor of reality.

Sometimes people need to lie to themselves most of all.

Things and actions are what they are, and the consequences of them will be what they will be: why then should we desire to be deceived?