“To pretend, I actually do the thing: I have therefore only pretended to pretend.”
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Jacques Derrida58
French philosopher (1930-2004) 1930–2004Related quotes
John Holt (Lord Chief Justice) (1642–1710) English lawyer and Lord Chief Justice of England
Anonymous (1699), 3 Salk. 213.
“sometimes the best thing to do is to
pretend it didn't happen”
Candace Bushnell book Summer and the City
Source: Summer and the City
“I don't have to be a hero, he thought in silent wonder. All I have to do is pretend.”
Matthew Stover book Traitor
Ganner Rhysode, p. 261
Traitor (2002)

“I don't pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do.”
Johnny Depp (1963) American actor, film producer, and musician
Charles de Lint (1951) author
"Journal Entries", p. 186
Memory and Dream (1994)
Context: I've always had these bouts of depression; I hide them well but doesn't mean they aren't there. … I didn't have anyone around for whom I had to put on a cheerful mask. The thing with pretending you're in a good mood is that sometimes you can actually trick yourself into feeling better.
“I am a stranger. You do not need to lie to me or pretend. Only with friends do you need masks.”
David Gemmell book The King Beyond the Gate
Source: Drenai series, The King Beyond the Gate, Ch. 2
“I don't understand what's going on, but i'll just pretend that I do.”
Masashi Kishimoto (1974) Japanese manga artist
“I absolutely do not pretend in the slightest fashion to knowledge of military science.”
Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924) Russian politician, led the October Revolution
As quoted in Stalin : A Biography (2004) by Robert Service, p. 183.
1920s