Original artwork, not a still
All censure of a man's self is oblique praise. It is in order to show how much he can spare. It has all the invidiousness of self-praise, and all the reproach of falsehood.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The speaker argues that criticizing oneself is really a roundabout way of boasting, since it shows how much a person can afford to give away. Such talk carries the same resentment-stirring quality as open bragging, plus the added fault of being untrue.
Context reviewed
