Original artwork, not a still
Time Enough for Love · 1973
Always tell her she is beautiful, especially if she is not.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The advice becomes more emphatic precisely when the compliment would be less consistent with the speaker’s judgment. That reversal separates praise from a straightforward report of appearance. The line leaves its motive unstated, making the practical instruction more conspicuous than any justification for it.
Context reviewed
