Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true.

διόπερ ῥᾷστον ἁπάντων ἐστὶν αὑτὸν ἐξαπατῆσαι: ὃ γὰρ βούλεται, τοῦθ᾽ ἕκαστος καὶ οἴεται

Demosthenes

More information about this quote

Topic

Delusion Credulity Truth

Speaker

Demosthenes

Medium

Speech

Language

Greek

Time

349 BC 340s BC 4th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Occupation

Politician

From

Greece Europe

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Demosthenes. Olynthiac Three. c. 349 BC, Athens, Greece.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Demosthenes about delusion: “Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes…”
Download
A quote by Demosthenes about delusion: “Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes…”
Download
A quote by Demosthenes about delusion: “Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes…”
Download

Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote about Truth

There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth.

Mark Twain

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Buy The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at Amazon Buy The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at Amazon
Read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Embellishment Truth

Author

Mark Twain
Source
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Medium
Novel
Genre
Children's literature Adventure novel
Language
English
Time
1884 1880s 19th century
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. London: Chatto & Windus, 1884, ch. 1.

Current Citation

Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, edited by R. Kent Rasmussen. Penguin Classics, 2014, ch. 1.

Another quote from Classical antiquity

Give me chastity and continency—but not yet!

St. Augustine

Confessions

Buy Confessions at Amazon Buy Confessions at Amazon
Read Confessions at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Chastity Sexual morality Self-control Sex

Author

St. Augustine
Source
Confessions
Genre
Autobiography and memoir
Language
Latin
Time
398 390s 4th century
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 1
Original Citation

Augustine of Hippo. Confessiones [Confessions]. c. 398, bk. 8, ch. 7.

Current Citation

Augustine of Hippo. Confessions, translated by R. S. Pine-Coffin. Penguin Classics, 1961, bk. 8, ch. 7.

Another quote originally in Greek

Make war that we may live in peace.

Aristotle

The Nicomachean Ethics

Buy the Nicomachean Ethics at Amazon Buy the Nicomachean Ethics at Amazon
Read the Nicomachean Ethics at MIT's classics department website
More information about this quote
Topic
War and peace War Peace

Author

Aristotle
Source
The Nicomachean Ethics
Genre
Philosophical literature
Statement Type
Paradox
Language
Greek
Time
322 BC 320s BC 4th century BC
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Aristotle. Ἠθικὰ Νικομάχεια, Ēthika Nikomacheia [Nicomachean Ethics]. c. 322 BC.

Current Citation

Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics, translated by Terence Irwin. Hackett Publishing, 2019.