Vauvenargues catches something that cynics often miss: hope isn't merely passive optimism, but an active force that clouds judgment—more dangerous precisely *because* we trust it. Where cunning deceives through disguise, hope deceives by altering what we see, making us accomplices in our own delusion. A job seeker who stays in a failing company because "things might improve" hasn't been tricked by a schemer; they've been misled by their own attachment to possibility. The marquis reminds us that our own good intentions can be our worst enemy, which is a far more unsettling lesson than simply "watch out for liars."