All mortals tend to turn into the thing they are pretending to be.
 C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (1942). copy citation

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Author C. S. Lewis
Source The Screwtape Letters
Topic pretending
Date 1942
Language English
Reference
Note
Weblink https://www.truechristianity.info/en/the_screwtape_letters.php

Context

“He will be silent when he ought to speak and laugh when he ought to be silent. He will assume, at first only by his manner, but presently by his words, all sorts of cynical and sceptical attitudes which are not really his. But if you play him well, they may become his. All mortals tend to turn into the thing they are pretending to be. This is elementary. The real question is how to prepare for the Enemy's counter attack. The first thing is to delay as long as possible the moment at which he realises this new pleasure as a temptation.” source