John Dryden Quotes

Men gladly believe what they wish. -Libenter homines id quod volunt credunt

Nothing is so easy as to deceive oneself; for what we wish, we readily believe.

What we wish, that we readily believe.

It is hard to prevent oneself from believing what one so keenly desires.

Men freely believe that which they desire.

Men in general are quick to believe that which they wish to be true.

The things that we want we willingly believe, and the things that we think we expect everyone else to think.

One of the mistakes we'll make because we're human beings is to believe that your vision is a fact. That's the natural optimism of human beings.

We are eager to believe that others are flawed because we are eager to believe in what we wish for.

Things we wish to be true are apt to gain too ready credit with us.

What ardently we wish, we soon believe.

Men are nearly always willing to believe what they wish.

A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true.

We are all very ready to believe what we like.

What we wish, we readily believe, and what we ourselves think, we imagine others think also.

People say they love truth, but in reality they want to believe that which they love is true.

Everyone believes very easily whatever they fear or desire

When it comes to believing things without actual evidence, we all incline to what we find most attractive.

False beliefs can be every bit as consoling as true ones, right up until the moment of disillusionment.

You must remember, my dear lady, the most important rule of any successful illusion: First, the people must want to believe in it.

The point is that we are all capable of believing things which we know to be untrue, and then, when we are finally proved wrong, impudently twisting the facts so as to show that we were right. Intellectually, it is possible to carry on this process for an indefinite time: the only check on it is that sooner or later a false belief bumps up against solid reality, usually on a battlefield.

What a man wishes, he will believe.

What most we wish, with ease we fancy near.

There are people who can believe anything they wish. What lucky creatures!

People are always willing to follow advice when it accords with their own wishes.