# Quotes about illusions - Quotes: 19 - Authors: 9 - Topic page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions ## Quotes > It is difficult to attain a high ideal; consequently, it is almost impossible to persuade ourselves that we have attained it. But it is easy to attain a low ideal; consequently, it is easier still to persuade ourselves that we have attained it when we have done nothing of the kind. To take a random example. It might be called a high ambition to wish to be an archangel; the man who entertained such an ideal would very possibly exhibit asceticism, or even frenzy, but not, I think, delusion. He would not think he was an archangel, and go about flapping his hands under the impression that they were wings. But suppose that a sane man had a low ideal; suppose he wished to be a gentleman. Any one who knows the world knows that in nine weeks he would have persuaded himself that he was a gentleman; and this being manifestly not the case, the result will be very real and practical dislocations and calamities in social life. It is not the wild ideals which wreck the practical world; it is the tame ideals. [G. Chesterton](https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton.md) · [Heretics](https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton/heretics.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton/heretics/it-is-difficult.md) Topics: [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > If he had smiled why would he have smiled? To reflect that each one who enters imagines himself to be the first to enter whereas he is always the last term of a preceding series even if the first term of a succeeding one, each imagining himself to be first, last, only and alone whereas he is neither first nor last nor only nor alone in a series originating in and repeated to infinity. [James Joyce](https://www.leafyquotes.com/james-joyce.md) · [Ulysses](https://www.leafyquotes.com/james-joyce/ulysses.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/james-joyce/ulysses/if-he-had.md) Topics: [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > The easiest way to solve a problem is to deny it exists. [Isaac Asimov](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov.md) · [The Gods Themselves](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov/the-gods-themselves.md) · p. 236 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov/the-gods-themselves/the-easiest-way.md) Topics: [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > He is a dreamer of ancient times, or rather, of the myths of what ancient times used to be. Such men are harmless in themselves, but their queer lack of realism makes them fools for others. [Isaac Asimov](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov.md) · [Foundation and Empire](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov/foundation-and-empire.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov/foundation-and-empire/he-is-a-dreamer.md) Topics: [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > I tell you I know the type of people that become Medievalists. They’re soft, dreamy people who find life too hard for them here and get lost in an ideal world of the past that never really existed. [Isaac Asimov](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov.md) · [The Caves of Steel](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov/the-caves-of-steel.md) · p. 141 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/isaac-asimov/the-caves-of-steel/i-tell-you.md) Topics: [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md), [the past](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/the-past.md) > The person one loves never really exists, but is a projection focused through the lens of the mind onto whatever screen it fits with least distortion. [Arthur C. Clarke](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-c-clarke.md) · [The Collected Stories Of Arthur C. Clarke](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-c-clarke/the-collected-stories-of-arthur-c-clarke.md) · p. 269 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-c-clarke/the-collected-stories-of-arthur-c-clarke/the-person-one.md) Topics: [love](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/love.md), [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > There were some things that only time could cure. Evil men could be destroyed but nothing could be done about good men who were deluded. [Arthur C. Clarke](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-c-clarke.md) · [The Collected Stories Of Arthur C. Clarke](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-c-clarke/the-collected-stories-of-arthur-c-clarke.md) · p. 220 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-c-clarke/the-collected-stories-of-arthur-c-clarke/there-were-some.md) Topics: [time](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/time.md), [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > Even though you were once a goddess, Kalidasa's heaven was only an illusion. [Arthur C. Clarke](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-c-clarke.md) · [The Fountains Of Paradise](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-c-clarke/the-fountains-of-paradise.md) · p. 67 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-c-clarke/the-fountains-of-paradise/even-though-you.md) Topics: [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > After a time, she believed in the reality of this comedy. Thérèse Raquin Topics: [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md), [appearances](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/appearances.md) > She would have cursed the Almighty had she been able to shout out a blasphemy. Providence had deceived her for over sixty years, by treating her as a gentle, good little girl, by amusing her with lying representations of tranquil joy. And she had remained a child, senselessly believing in a thousand silly things, and unable to see life as it really is, dragging along in the sanguinary filth of passions. Providence was bad; it should have told her the truth before, or have allowed her to continue in her innocence and blindness. Now, it only remained for her to die, denying love, denying friendship, denying devotedness. Nothing existed but murder and lust. Thérèse Raquin Topics: [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > The highfalutin aims of democracy, whether real or imaginary, are always assumed to be identical with its achievements. This, of course, is sheer hallucination. Not one of those aims, not even the aim of giving every adult a vote, has been realized. It has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good. [H.L. Mencken](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken.md) · [Minority Report](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken/minority-report.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken/minority-report/the-highfalutin-aims.md) Topics: [politics](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/politics.md), [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > Love is the delusion that one woman differs from another. [H.L. Mencken](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken.md) · [A Mencken Chrestomathy](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken/a-mencken-chrestomathy.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken/a-mencken-chrestomathy/love-is-the.md) Topics: [love](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/love.md), [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > The most costly of all follies is to believe passionately in the palpably not true. It is the chief occupation of mankind. [H.L. Mencken](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken.md) · [A Mencken Chrestomathy](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken/a-mencken-chrestomathy.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken/a-mencken-chrestomathy/the-most-costly.md) Topics: [stupidity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/stupidity.md), [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > An idealist is one who, on noticing that roses smell better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup. [H.L. Mencken](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken.md) · [A Mencken Chrestomathy](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken/a-mencken-chrestomathy.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/hl-mencken/a-mencken-chrestomathy/an-idealist-is-one.md) Topics: [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > He discovered the cruel paradox by which we always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love — first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage. [Albert Camus](https://www.leafyquotes.com/albert-camus.md) · [A Happy Death](https://www.leafyquotes.com/albert-camus/a-happy-death.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/albert-camus/a-happy-death/he-discovered-the.md) Topics: [love](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/love.md), [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > Qu’est-ce qu’optimisme? disait Cacambo. — Hélas! dit Candide, c’est la rage de soutenir que tout est bien quand on est mal. [Voltaire](https://www.leafyquotes.com/voltaire.md) · [Candide](https://www.leafyquotes.com/voltaire/candide.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/voltaire/candide/quest-ce-quoptimisme-disait.md) Topics: [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > If this is the best of possible worlds, what then are the others? [Voltaire](https://www.leafyquotes.com/voltaire.md) · [Candide](https://www.leafyquotes.com/voltaire/candide.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/voltaire/candide/if-this-is-the.md) Topics: [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > "Optimism," said Cacambo, "What is that?" "Alas!" replied Candide, "It is the obstinacy of maintaining that everything is best when it is worst! [Voltaire](https://www.leafyquotes.com/voltaire.md) · [Candide](https://www.leafyquotes.com/voltaire/candide.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/voltaire/candide/optimism-said-cacambo.md) Topics: [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md) > But by and large the animals enjoyed these celebrations. They found it comforting to be reminded that, after all, they were truly their own masters and that the work they did was for their own benefit. So that, what with the songs, the processions, Squealer's lists of figures, the thunder of the gun, the crowing of the cockerel, and the fluttering of the flag, they were able to forget that their bellies were empty, at least part of the time. [George Orwell](https://www.leafyquotes.com/george-orwell.md) · [Animal Farm](https://www.leafyquotes.com/george-orwell/animal-farm.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/george-orwell/animal-farm/but-by-and.md) Topics: [politics](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/politics.md), [power](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/power.md), [illusions](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/illusions.md)