Well, to tell you the truth, I've thought of it often and often before, but he's such devilish good company is Huntingdon, after all - you can't imagine what a jovial good fellow he is when he's not fairly drunk, only just primed or half-seas-over - we all have a bit of a liking for him at the bottom of our hearts, though we can't respect him.''But should you wish yourself to be like him?''No, I'd rather be like myself, bad as I am.

Meaning: A person who is not present can become an easy target for blame because they cannot explain or challenge the account. Be cautious about judgements made without hearing them.

Meaning: Someone determined to punish or mistreat another can often find a pretext. Examine whether the supposed reason is fair rather than accepting it because an accusation has been made.

Editorial context: This metaphor criticises refusal to consider evidence. Visual disability is not unwillingness to understand, and disagreement alone does not prove refusal.

Meaning: Someone who refuses to consider available evidence may resist understanding more than someone who lacks information. The saying criticises deliberate avoidance, but its sight metaphor must not equate visual disability with unwillingness or ignorance.

Meaning: The comparison questions an account offered without the experience or evidence needed for its subject. Its disability-based insult should be distinguished from that useful question.