Page "belles_lettres" Paragraph 491

Even if the self portrait we distribute for popular consumption were accurate it would be dangerous to present it as a picture of the ideal society.

We would be ignoring the special circumstances of other countries.

The picture is the more treacherous when it misrepresents the facts of American life.

The discrepancy between what we commonly profess and what we practice or tolerate is great, and it does not escape the notice of others.

If our sincerity is granted, and it is granted, the discrepancy can only be explained by the fact that we have come to believe hearsay and legend about ourselves in preference to an understanding gained by earnest self-examination.

What is more, the legends have become so sacrosanct that the very habit of self-examination or self-criticism smells of low treason, and men who practice it are defeatists and unpatriotic scoundrels.