It is harder to behave like good people when we are too busy defending our status as good people.

I think that the the great dilemma of societies, both modern and ancient, differentiate between appearance and essence, between those who say only what people want to hear and those who do what must be done regardless of whether they are reproached.

It's always easier to pretend, to pretend to be honest, to pretend to be fair, to pretend to be good, to pretend, pretend, preten...

But appearances only serve to deceive other people, they don't change the facts, don't change the truth.