Ricky Gervais

I think you can make fun of anything except things people can't help. They can't help their race or their sex or their age, so you ridicule their pretension or their ego instead. You can ridicule ideas - ideas don't have feelings. You can ridicule an idea that someone holds without hurting them.

English Writer

Guy Laliberte

We are in a position of financial and social power, and we could be agents of change in our society. Without pretension, I believe we could be a nice little gardener who takes care of the garden, and hopefully our neighbor will do the same. Then, maybe we'll achieve a better world.

Canadian Businessman

Olivier Theyskens

I don't think couture will die. But it should have no pretension that it will conquer the world. It's not something that will disappear because all you need is a thread and a needle to start making something couture.

Belgian Designer

David S. Goyer

I grew up reading comic books, pulp books, mystery and science fiction and fantasy. I'm a geek; I make no pretensions otherwise. It's the stuff that I love writing about. I like creating worlds.

American Director

Elias Hicks

What encouragement the apostle holds out to us. O my friends, that we might leave all our pretensions, and come to the truth in our own hearts.

American Clergyman

Zadie Smith

I recognize myself to be an intensely naive person. Most novelists are, despite frequent pretensions to deep socio-political insight.

British Novelist

Sam Neill

I always want to be as good in the part as I possibly can. But I make no pretensions of being the greatest actor in the world.

Irish Actor

Margot Fonteyn

Any sort of pretension induces mediocrity in art and life alike.

English Dancer

E. T. Bell

Science makes no pretension to eternal truth or absolute truth.

Scottish Mathematician

David Bowie

I'm responsible for starting a whole new school of pretension.

English Musician

Often used in legal or formal situations when discussing rights to assets.

Legal Context

Expresses a firm belief in one's right to something, even if not universally acknowledged.

Asserting Claims

Suggests a dislike for those who see themselves as superior without justification.

Negative Perception

Implies a person's self-importance is not based on actual achievements or value.

Undeserved Superiority

Indicates that someone is trying to appear more cultured or refined than they are.

Unauthentic Quality

May refer to something simple or unassuming without a need to impress.

Avoiding Ostentation

Refers to goals not supported by current reality, but expressed confidently.

Unrealistic Aspirations

Acknowledges a slim chance, hinting it's a dream rather than an expectation.

Modest Likelihood

 the computer would, if correctly programmed, be able to write novels and compose music. That is a pretty big insight in 1843. "But," said Ada, "The computer should never have any pretensions

Is Humanity Smart Enough...

 three boats we discovered that for some unknown reason we had packed all of the thermometers and barometers in the No Name now we had very little pretensions

Pretension