People
The writer must believe that what he is doing is the most important thing in the world. And he must hold to this illusion even when he knows it is not true.
— John Steinbeck
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The writer is asked to sustain two conflicting ideas: the work is supremely important, and that belief is an illusion. Knowing it is untrue does not remove the need to believe it. The tension makes commitment sound both necessary and knowingly unreasonable.
Context reviewed