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.
Interpretation
The quote discusses honesty in self-expression and the complexities of ego.
In this quote, Raymond Chandler reflects on the dual nature of self-representation in memoirs. He suggests that some individuals possess the ability to write about their lives truthfully, while others struggle with self-importance or a lack of earnestness. He identifies a nuanced form of egotism where a person's reluctance to reveal their true self indicates a deeper insecurity about their identity. This self-reticence can hinder genuine expression, implying that authentic self-exploration is essential to overcome the daunting barriers created by one's own perceptions of worth.
In practice
During a writing workshop focused on personal narratives.
Undoubtedly the stories about them [hard-boiled detectives] had a fantastic element. Such things happened, but not so rapidly, nor to so close-knit a group of people, nor within so narrow a frame of logic. This was inevitable because the demand was for constant action; if you stopped to think you were lost. When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand.
There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge.
Organized crime is the dirty side of the sharp dollar.
When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand.
The flood of print has turned reading into a process of gulping rather than savoring.
If my books had been any worse, I should not have been invited to Hollywood, and if they had been any better, I should not have come.
It's not the voting that's democracy; it's the counting.
These virtues are formed in man by his doing the actions ... The good of man is a working of the soul in the way of excellence in a complete life.
I am baffled by the way sophisticated theologians who know Adam and Eve never existed still keep talking about it.
We are ever dying to one world and being born into another.
If you carry someone else's fears and live by someone else's values, you may find that you have lived their lives.
Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.