Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself

From "Rohit Sharma: The Constant Underachiever" by Anjali Doshi of Wisden India Cricket News.

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"In this post-IPL era in Indian cricket, where fame and money are so easily accessible even to players with limited talent and experience, there are very few who stay grounded and appreciate how illusory the hype, celebrity, success and riches are. 'Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself', as the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said.

A very interesting observation based on events of late, and with that I refer to the events surrounding Lance Armstrong. It seems that sporting success gives rise to self-deception. For many, one's belief in his or her talent propels the individual to strive. For others, there are outsiders who feed the sense of talent. In fact, it would be difficult to achieve the heights of sporting success without succumbing in some way to the hyperbolic narrative of sporting prowess. 

The Manipulated Image


When I look at a genre-picture, it ‘tells’ me something, even though I don’t believe (imagine) for a moment [what] I see in it really exist, or that there have really been people in that situation. But suppose I ask: ‘What does it tell me, then?’
— Philosophical Investigations, #522

The flower above did not exist in the state it appears in the photograph. Like many photos, it has been altered. Can I still not find beauty in it?