Amount Quote by Raymond Chandler
“There are people who can write their memoirs with a reasonable amount of honesty, and there are people who simply cannot take themselves seriously enough. I think I might be the first to admit that the sort of reticence which prevents a man from exploiting his own personality is really an inverted sort of egotism.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Big Sleep, 1939
Some write honestly, others avoid self‑seriousness; avoiding self‑importance can be a hidden ego.
In simple terms: Honesty vs self‑seriousness in memoirs.
Key Takeaway
Balance honesty with humility.
Themes
honesty
ego
self‑reflection
writing
Mood
introspective
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- memoir writing
- self‑assessment
- creative work
Key Concepts
psychology
self‑esteem
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you hide your true self?
- When does humility become ego?
A Different Perspective
Too much self‑critique can stall progress.
![“Hammett was the ace performer... He is said to have lacked heart; yet the story he himself thought the most of [The Glass Key] is the record of a man's devotion to a friend. He was spare, frugal, hard-boiled, but he did over and over again what only the best writers can ever do at all. He wrote…” quote by Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/882/raymond-chandler-629_dashiel-hammett_hammett-was-the-ace-performer-he-is-said_20171.jpg)
![“He [James Cain] is every kind of writer I detest...a Proust in greasy overalls, a dirty little boy with a piece of chalk and a board fence and nobody looking.” quote by Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/614/raymond-chandler-629_cain_he-james-cain-is-every-kind-of-writer-i_41185.jpg)
