Original artwork, not a still
Slouching Towards Bethlehem ‧ 1968
Most of our platitudes notwithstanding, self-deception remains the most difficult deception. The tricks that work on others count for nothing in that very well-lit back alley where one keeps assignations with oneself: no winning smiles will do here, no prettily drawn lists of good intentions.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The speaker argues that fooling oneself is harder than fooling others. Charm and neat lists of good intentions work on outsiders but fail in the honest private meeting with oneself, which is compared to a brightly lit back alley where nothing can be hidden.
Context reviewed
