--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On the face of it he seemed to be…" description: "\"“On the face of it he seemed to be congratulating himself on dealing with patients more humanely than Yealland, but then why the mood of self-accusatio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/pat-barker-12512_dreams_on-the-face-of-it-he-seemed-to-be-congra_2212017.jpg" --- # On the face of it he seemed to be congratulating himself… ![“On the face of it he seemed to be congratulating himself on dealing with patients more humanely than Yealland, but then why the mood of self-accusation? In the dream he stood in Yealland’s place. The dream seemed to be saying, in dream language, don’t flatter yourself. There is no distinction.” quote by Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/pat-barker-12512_dreams_on-the-face-of-it-he-seemed-to-be-congra_2212017.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/pat-barker-12512_dreams_on-the-face-of-it-he-seemed-to-be-congra_2212017.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/pat-barker-12512_dreams_on-the-face-of-it-he-seemed-to-be-congra_2212017.jpg) > ““On the face of it he seemed to be congratulating himself on dealing with patients more humanely than Yealland, but then why the mood of self-accusation? In the dream he stood in Yealland’s place. The dream seemed to be saying, in dream language, don’t flatter yourself. There is no distinction.”” [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑flattery blinds us; true humility requires confronting our own flaws without illusion. **In simple terms:** Flattery hides truth; humility sees flaws. Key Takeaway Practice honest self‑assessment. Themes humility self‑awareness illusion Mood somber thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - therapy sessions - medical practice - personal reflection Key Concepts psychology literary analysis Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize self‑deception? - What steps foster genuine humility? A Different Perspective Self‑critique can be demoralizing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) ## Related quotes > [Wait," I say. "I think you're mistaken. Saying there is no dream is the same as saying everything is a dream. Isn't it? 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But in my dream, cruelty greases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monique-truong/in-my-dream-i-am-saying-all-of-this-in-french-though-i-know-that-this/) [Monique Truong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monique-truong/) > [Assume you have no hope. If you have no hope, you have nothing. If you have nothing, there is nothing holding you back. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/assume-you-have-no-hope-if-you-have-no-hope-you-have-nothing-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thanking you once more, I want to wish you the best of luck for your future life and to conclude by saying to you:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/thanking-you-once-more-i-want-to-wish-you-the-best-of-luck-for-your/) [Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/) > [Imagine Martin Luther King saying, 'I have a dream ... But I don't know if the others will buy it.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-zander/imagine-martin-luther-king-saying-i-have-a-dream-but-i-don-t-know-if/) [Benjamin Zander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-zander/) > [“I'm not sure this will make sense to you, but I felt as though I'd turned around to look in a different direction, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/i-m-not-sure-this-will-make-sense-to-you-but-i-felt-as-though-i-d/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“Here is my procedure for a saliva test: Prepare 7 strips of pH paper. Take a baseline pH reading. Have the patient drink 10cc…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ameer-rosic/here-is-my-procedure-for-a-saliva-test-prepare-7-strips-of-ph-paper/) Ameer Rosic > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We're on the road 300 days a year. There's no recovery time. It's a test of your physical and mental endurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-phoenix/we-re-on-the-road-300-days-a-year-there-s-no-recovery-time-it-s-a/) [Beth Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-phoenix/) > [The faster you go, the shorter you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-faster-you-go-the-shorter-you-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I am fairly tired--bored beyond endurance--by the world we live in, and its ideals, and am ready to say so, not violently, but kindly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/i-am-fairly-tired-bored-beyond-endurance-by-the-world-we-live-in-and/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [Dating someone on the opposite end of the happy spectrum teaches you an incredible amount of patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/dating-someone-on-the-opposite-end-of-the-happy-spectrum-teaches-you/) [Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/) > [Many patients imagine that they have tried everything. True, they have used many remedies, but they have never had the cause of their infirmity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-palmer/many-patients-imagine-that-they-have-tried-everything-true-they-have/) [Daniel D. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-palmer/) ## More by Pat Barker > [“But I shot the dog myself. I took him into the barn holding on to his collar. He knew something bad was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/but-i-shot-the-dog-myself-i-took-him-into-the-barn-holding-on-to-his/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [When I'm writing the first draft, I'm writing in a very slovenly way: anything to get the outline of the story on paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/when-i-m-writing-the-first-draft-i-m-writing-in-a-very-slovenly-way/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [When writing about historical characters I try to be as accurate as possible, and in particular not to misrepresent the view they held. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/when-writing-about-historical-characters-i-try-to-be-as-accurate-as/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [That balance between involvement and detachment is what novelists do. It's the ideal relationship between a novelist and a character, I think, total involvement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/that-balance-between-involvement-and-detachment-is-what-novelists-do/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [Murder is only killing in the wrong place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/murder-is-only-killing-in-the-wrong-place/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [The sky darkened, the air grew colder, but he didn't mind. It didn't occur to him to move. This was the right place. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/the-sky-darkened-the-air-grew-colder-but-he-didn-t-mind-it-didn-t/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > ['Undertones of War' by Edmund Blunden seems to get less attention than the memoirs of Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves, but it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/undertones-of-war-by-edmund-blunden-seems-to-get-less-attention-than/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [I don't think it's possible to c-call yourself a C-Christian and... and j-just leave out the awkward bits.' -Wilfred Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/i-don-t-think-it-s-possible-to-c-call-yourself-a-c-christian-and-and/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [The way I see it, when you put the uniform on, in effect you sign a contract. And you don't back out of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/the-way-i-see-it-when-you-put-the-uniform-on-in-effect-you-sign-a/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [“Half the world's work's done by hopeless neurotics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/half-the-world-s-work-s-done-by-hopeless-neurotics/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [Culturally, the First World War is the war that stands in for other wars,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/culturally-the-first-world-war-is-the-war-that-stands-in-for-other/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [Fiction should be about moral dilemmas that are so bloody difficult that the author doesn't know the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/fiction-should-be-about-moral-dilemmas-that-are-so-bloody-difficult/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [My grandmother's first husband was a spiritualist medium. What fascinates me about that is the balance between conviction and sincerity and trickery, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/my-grandmother-s-first-husband-was-a-spiritualist-medium-what/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [“It was... the Great White God de-throned, I suppose. Because we did, we quite unselfconsciously assumed we were the measure of all things. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/it-was-the-great-white-god-de-throned-i-suppose-because-we-did-we/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) > [Sometimes, in the trenches, you get the sense of something, ancient. One trench we held, it had skulls in the side, embedded, like mushrooms.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-barker/sometimes-in-the-trenches-you-get-the-sense-of-something-ancient-one/) [Pat Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) [Explore all 54 Pat Barker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-barker/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“On the face of it he seemed to be congratulating himself on dealing with patients more humanely than Yealland, but then why the mood of self-accusation? In the dream he stood in Yealland’s place. The dream seemed to be saying, in dream language, don’t flatter yourself. 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