Quotes About Deception

As Shakespeare said, 'The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.'4

Religion was the robe of sanctity worn to mask the naked pursuit of power.

The corrupt not only believe they can fool their fellow humans; they believe they can fool God as well. When moral standards begin to break down in business, finance, trade, and politics, a kind of collective madness takes hold of people. The sages said Adam bahul al mamono (Pesa?im 11b), meaning, roughly, "Money makes us do wild things.

Chaudron knew his forgeries would be examined under a microscope and the latest infrared X-ray. This hidden imagery would make it appear that each forgery was indeed authentic.

It's the same with spirit guises; show me a sweet little choirboy or a smiling mother and I'll show you the hideous fanged strigoi it really is. (Not always. Just sometimes. *Your* mother is absolutely fine, for instance. Probably.)

Julius Tallow was a fool. He appeared complacent, but like a weak swimmer out of his depth, his legs were kicking frantically under the surface, trying to keep him afloat. Whatever happened, Nathaniel did not intend to sink with him.

Ooh, I smell something burning... Wait, wait - it's your pants ! Your pants are on fire, you massive liar ! You so weren't on a case !

Well, she may think it was her idea, but I'd been looking for an excuse to get you back all winter.

She's her?' - Lucy 'Exactly. Penelope Fittes is Marissa Fittes. They're one and the same person.' - The Skull

I memorized her automatically. I would appear in her guise tomorrow when I went back to visit that kid. Only naked.

your dress. Too tight.' 'You think so? It looks all right to me.' 'You're only looking at the front, love.

He'd been many things to me, Nathaniel had, most of them indescribable. But he never looked so much of a puppet as he did now. And already it had all gone wrong.

Julius Tallow gave Nathaniel an unctuous smile. "That's the kind of servant you need, Mandrake," he said. "No glibness, no chatter. Obeys without question. I'd get rid of this smooth-tongued serpent, if I were you." The panther swished its tail. "Hey, we've all got problems, chum. I'm overly talkative. You look like a field of buttercups in a suit.

A lie does not consist in the indirect position of words, but in the desire and intention, by false speaking, to deceive and injure your neighbour.

Flattery is the worst and falsest way of showing our esteem

Promises and pie-crust are made to be broken.

'Tis an old maxim in the schools,That flattery's the food of fools;Yet now and then your men of witWill condescend to take a bit.

A lie is an excuse guarded.

She looks as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

I said the thing which was not. (For they have no word in their language to express lying or falsehood.)

Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it, so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late; the jest is over, and the tale hath had its effect: like a man, who hath thought of a good repartee when the discourse is changed, or the company parted; or like a physician, who hath found out an infallible medicine, after the patient is dead.

Happiness is the perpetual possession of being well deceived.

The really good liars, the true grandmasters of bullshit, are so damn convincing because they actually believe their own lies.

Nothing here is as it seems; Dreams are truths, and truths are dreams. Closed your ears to loved ones' cries; Die if you believe your eyes. Bind with ropes your flesh and blood, And let your guide be made of wood.