It is terrible to destroy a person’s picture of himself in the interests of truth or some other abstraction.

Lessing points to the moral cost of “truth-telling” when it becomes an abstract principle pursued without regard for human psychology. A person’s self-image—however partial or self-serving—often functions as a scaffold for dignity, stability, and the ability to go on living. To shatter that picture in the name of an impersonal ideal (“truth” or any other doctrine) can be a kind of cruelty, even if the facts are on one’s side. The line critiques ideological or righteous impulses that treat individuals as expendable in service of a higher cause, urging a more compassionate, tactful ethics that weighs accuracy against harm.