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Pretend Quotes

On the gap between appearances and what's real underneath.

Several lines draw a line between honest limitation and outright pretending, including the idea that institutions do better admitting what they aren't. Read related thoughts in our Know quotes.

I don't play an instrument. I pretend. I try to.

Quotes by Matt Berninger

I pretend I'm one of the royal family when I'm in a hotel and that the hotel belongs to me - it is a palace.

Quotes by Martin Short

The word 'equality' shows up too much in our founding documents for anyone to pretend it's not the American way.

Quotes by Martha Plimpton

I can't pretend to be objective when it comes to service or sacrifice.

Quotes by Martha Raddatz

We pretend that the debate about genetically modified crops is a debate about science when the reality is, actually, that the science is very clear. It is really a debate about values.

Quotes by Mark Walport

I'm a baseball fan, but I'm not qualified to make baseball decisions, and I don't want to pretend to be.

Quotes by Mark Walter

I would rather be stupid than pretend to be intelligent.

Quotes by Mahesh Bhatt

I don't want to pretend I'm any cooler or smarter than I am.

Quotes by M. Night Shyamalan

I was always a 'let's pretend' kind of kid.

Quotes by Lynn Flewelling

I love when someone doesn't pretend to be someone they are not.

Quotes by Lourdes Leon

Pretend and real are all real to a psychopath.

Quotes by Lorraine Toussaint

It's nice to pretend we could lead a normal life!

Quotes by Lights

We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.

Quotes by Kurt Vonnegut

At first, being a storyteller, it was fun to dress up and fun to sing songs and pretend to be very dramatic - all of that stuff was just fun early on.

Quotes by Kelly McCreary

I don't pretend that I can read minds. I don't believe anybody can read minds. In other words, I don't believe in psychics.

Quotes by Keith Barry

Because we're actors we can pretend and fake it, but I'd rather the intimate investment was authentic.

Quotes by Keanu Reeves

Authors make stuff up. Let's not pretend it's any more magical than that.

Quotes by Kameron Hurley

I don't pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do.

Quotes by Johnny Depp

For at least another hundred years we must pretend to ourselves and to every one that fair is foul and foul is fair; for foul is useful and fair is not. Avarice and usury and precaution must be our gods...

Quotes by John Maynard Keynes

Realistic novels simply pretend that the rules of their invented worlds are identical to the rules of actual life, but that's a ruse.

Quotes by John Crowley

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the theme running through this Pretend collection?
It's about the gap between appearance and reality — an institution clarifying it doesn't pretend to be something it's not, and a warning that you can't fake being liked by other people for long.
Does every quote treat pretending negatively?
Mostly, yes — the tone across these lines is skeptical of pretending, whether it's about summer bachelors described as never as cool as they pretend to be, or a broader claim that you can't successfully be in pretend for people to like you.
Is there a political quote in this collection?
One line describes a political party mimicking another's policies and phrases in an effort to appear a certain way to its own members. It's presented here as an observation about political image-making, described neutrally rather than as an endorsement of either side.
What does the Church-related quote mean?
It draws a boundary: the Church does not pretend to be scientists, but teaches based on what science tells it — a distinction between religious teaching and scientific authority, stated plainly rather than argued.
Why do readers search for pretend quotes?
People often want language for calling out inauthenticity, in themselves or others, or for affirming that they'd rather be honest than liked for a performance.

Other entries use a lighthearted metaphor about seasonal charm never quite living up to its own hype. Browse Love quotes for more on charm and sincerity.