"In the small things of life, we have a tendency to see excuses for what they are. We don’t make a habit of believing that “the dog ate my homework”, “the payment’s in the post”, or “I can’t buy a round of drinks because a spaceman from Mars stole my wallet”.

In matters of greater moment, however, excuses have a tendency to be swallowed more easily, primarily because of a collective desire to submit to “the willing suspension of disbelief”."