“In a total stranger we perceive man himself”

The full quote, from The Club of Queer Trades by G.K. Chesterton, is

Then we [two men having just met] had talked for about an hour about politics and God; for men always talk about the most important things to total strangers. It is because in the total stranger we perceive man himself; the image of God is not disguised by resemblances to an uncle or doubts of the wisdom of a moustache.

Given the recent discussions about the image of God lately, it struck me. I like the way that Chesterton equates “man himself” with “the image of God.” I also like notion that we can be distracted from seeing God in others by their moustaches or other such appearance.