It seems to me that there are two kinds of trickery: the "fronts" people assume before one another's eyes, and read more

It seems to me that there are two kinds of trickery: the "fronts" people assume before one another's eyes, and the "front" a writer puts on the face of reality.

All deception in the course of life is indeed nothing else but a lie reduced to practice, and falsehood passing read more

All deception in the course of life is indeed nothing else but a lie reduced to practice, and falsehood passing from words into things.

When a person cannot deceive himself the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.

When a person cannot deceive himself the chances are against his being able to deceive other people.

Think'st thou there are no serpents in the world
But those who slide along the grassy sod,
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Think'st thou there are no serpents in the world
But those who slide along the grassy sod,
And sting the luckless foot that presses them?
There are who in the path of social life
Do bask their spotted skins in Fortune's sun,
And sting the soul.

If the world will be gulled, let it be gulled.

If the world will be gulled, let it be gulled.

It is twice the pleasure to deceive the deceiver.

It is twice the pleasure to deceive the deceiver.

You think him to be your dupe; if he feigns to be so who is the
greater dupe, he read more

You think him to be your dupe; if he feigns to be so who is the
greater dupe, he or you?
[Fr., Vous le croyez votre dupe: s'il feint de l'etre, qui est
plus dupe, de lui ou de vous?]

Which I wish to remark--
And my language is plain,--
That for ways that are dark
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Which I wish to remark--
And my language is plain,--
That for ways that are dark
And for tricks that are vain,
The heathen Chinee is peculiar.

Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering the weaknesses of others.

Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering the weaknesses of others.