To plumb the consciousness of another person, separate from us by the interval of generations, we must virtually lay aside our own ego, whereas, to say what we think, we need only to remain ourselves. This is a less arduous endeavor.
It is so easy to denounce. We are never sufficiently understanding.
Interestingly, it seems to me that the last two quotes apply not only to the craft of history, as the author intended, but to interpersonal relations.
Taken from The Historian's Craft, Vintage Books, 1953, pages 86, 141, and 143.
PS For whatever it's worth, this guy looks a lot like my grandfather.
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