Even the most unassuming books often have one passage outstanding in its perspicacity. This is from Image of Josephine by Booth Tarkington, 1945.
His deeper suspicion was of Josephine Oaklin’s own gullibility—about herself. Was she one of those people who so determinedly gild themselves that they see themselves shining, all gold? Was she one of those who make fact plastic to their needs, distort it adorningly, always save face at any cost, and so have never true vision of themselves or of their kinship with their unperfected fellow-creatures? Such a one is not a beautiful sight—no, the rather ghastly—a deaf and blinded hermit walking abroad through crowded life and unaware of what’s all round him.
’nuff said.