Do you ever feel like your own mind is an unreliable narrator?
We live our lives believing we see the world as it is. But as I explore in my book, The Art of De-Illusion, we are all living inside a “house of mirrors”. Our senses, our beliefs, and even our most core sense of self are shaped by profound, invisible illusions.
The book is a field guide to this house, a collection of 121 “Keys” to unlock and examine the stories your mind tells you. It’s a journey into de-illusion, designed to help you see the world—and yourself—with just a little more clarity.
To give you a glimpse into this journey, I’ve gathered some of the most powerful, shareable quotes from the book. Each one is a “lens cleaner” for spotting the smudges on your own perception.
On Perception & The Mind (How We See)
Your brain is not a passive window, but an active storyteller.
Knowing the truth does not always change what you see.
We make meaning where there is only noise.
Pain is not a direct report from your body. Pain is an opinion rendered by the brain.
We don’t just listen with your ears; you listen with your eyes.
The world doesn’t magically change to match your thoughts. Your perception of the world changes to match your focus.
The language you speak is not just describing your world; it is actively building it.
Your brain is a pattern-seeking machine… and when it can’t find a real pattern, it often invents one.
On The Self (How We See Ourselves)
The less you know, the less you are able to know that you don’t know.
The past only looks inevitable because you know the ending.
We are all unreliable narrators of our own lives.
Passion is built, not found. It’s the result of hard work, not the prerequisite for it.
The confidence you feel is not a measure of how accurate your information is. It is simply a measure of how coherent the story is.
We are constantly writing checks that a future version of ourselves will have to cash.
The ‘hot hand’ was a ghost in the statistics.
Your pain is not special. It is simply human.
On Others (How We See Them)
You do not see other people. You see a story you tell yourself about them.
We grant ourselves the grace of context, but demand character perfection from others.
We live as if our minds have windows, when in reality, they mostly have walls.
When you slap a label on someone, you stop seeing the person. You see the folder.
The presence of others doesn’t create safety; it often creates paralysis.
Blaming the victim is just fear wearing the mask of judgment.
The group’s power didn’t lie in its size, but in its unanimity.
Most of the time, it has absolutely nothing to do with you.
On Reality (The Stories We Live In)
The ‘real world’ isn’t a physical location. It’s a collection of rules, games, and shared illusions.
Money isn’t a physical reality; it’s a collective act of faith.
The lie of a fair race rests on ignoring the starting line.
The coin has no memory. The universe isn’t keeping score.
We trust the single, compelling story more than the large, boring statistic.
The pain of a loss is always more powerful than the pleasure of an equivalent gain.
Sometimes, walking away isn’t giving up; it’s cutting yourself free.
The very abundance that promises happiness can become a source of profound stress.
Waking up is not a destination. It’s the ongoing, moment-to-moment choice to question.
Your Turn to Clean the Lens
These quotes are just the beginning of the journey. They are invitations to pause, look closer, and question the automatic stories your mind tells every day. The goal isn’t to live free from all illusion—that’s impossible. The goal is simply to see with a little more clarity.
If these ideas resonated with you, I invite you to get your full set of 121 Keys. You can find The Art of De-Illusion on Amazon.
