The first and worst of all frauds is to cheat one’s self. All sin is easy after that.
—Philip James Bailey (1816–1902) English Poet
Of all the evil spirits abroad in the world, insincerity is the most dangerous.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
Many an honest man practices on himself an amount of deceit, sufficient, if practiced on another, and in a little different way, to send him to the State prison.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.
—Walter Scott (1771–1832) Scottish Novelist, Poet, Playwright, Lawyer