The quote from George Eliot’s *Silas Marner* highlights the discomfort that comes from dishonesty, even when those lies are subtle and go unnoticed by others. An individual who strives to maintain a pure and ambitious mindset finds it challenging to reconcile their inner truth with the misleading notions they convey. Just as a great artist can detect the flaws in their work that others cannot, so too can a person recognize their own falsehoods. This internal struggle emphasizes the importance of authenticity.

Furthermore, Eliot suggests that once a person's actions have deviated into falsehood, these white lies become ingrained and trivialized, akin to superficial embellishments. This illustrates how deceit can compromise one's integrity and diminish the weight of genuine expression. The underlying message is a caution against letting untruths become part of one’s identity, as they can lead to a disconnection from one’s true self and values.