"Honesty is the cruelest game of all, because not only can you hurt someone - and hurt them to the bone - you can feel self-righteous about it at the same time"

In this quote, Dave Van Ronk is highlighting the harsh reality of honesty. He suggests that being truthful can be a terrible game because it has the power to injure somebody deeply. Not just that, but the individual being honest can likewise feel a sense of self-righteousness, as if they are ethically remarkable for speaking the reality. This includes another layer of complexity to the circumstance, as the person being honest might not just be triggering pain, but likewise taking pleasure in their own viewed righteousness. Van Ronk's words work as a suggestion to be mindful of the impact of our sincerity and to approach it with compassion and compassion.