"Things are not quite what they seem always. Don't start me on class, otherwise you'll get a four-hour lecture"

Michael Caine draws attention to the deceptive surface of daily life and social reality. Human interactions, appearances, and even the fabric of society often project one narrative while concealing a more complex story underneath. The assertion that things are not always as they seem challenges the tendency to accept superficial explanations or first impressions. Life, people, and institutions frequently involve hidden motives, unspoken histories, and nuances that escape immediate notice.

When Michael Caine references class specifically, he invokes the profound and multifaceted system of social hierarchies found in British society and beyond. His remark, half warning and half jest, alludes to the immense depth and intricacy of class structure, a subject deeply rooted in history and culture. Talking about class is never short or simple, as it touches every aspect of personal and national identity: opportunity, prejudice, aspiration, and even the values people inherit or reject.

Caine's background, growing up in a working-class neighborhood and eventually rising to fame and wealth, provides a lived perspective of these unseen forces at work. His sensitivity to the subtle, persistent ways class affects relationships, opportunities, and perceptions reflects the experiences of countless others who navigate the boundaries of inherited privilege and social mobility. The hint at a "four-hour lecture" is both a wry understatement of the subject’s layers and a personal indicator of its emotional weight. Attempting to unravel class dynamics can easily lead to sprawling conversations touching on social history, economics, politics, and psychology.

By warning against surface judgments and invoking the complexity of class, Caine encourages a more thoughtful and critical engagement with the world. Adopting such an attitude means questioning first impressions, scrutinizing the systems shaping everyday experience, and remaining wary of easy explanations, especially in matters as significant as social class.