The Devil is in the Details

In Chapter three of my soon-to-be-released memoir, The Beauty World Through the Lens of a Psychiatrist, I use the expression “the devil is in the details” while describing  the nuts and bolts of setting up my private practice. It’s one of those intuitive expressions often used while skipping the backstory. We like to think it means that details are the building blocks of any successful outcome, those sturdy little cornerstones that hold up the edifice, even if  less glamorous than the sweeping vision.  

The origin of this interesting idiom is up for grabs. A parallel expression is “God is in the details.” Nancy Pelosi, former speaker of the House, is credited with once exclaiming, “the devil and the angels are in the details,” when describing the crafting of a given piece of law.  During the 19th century notables such as architect Ludvig Miles van der Rohe, art historian Aby Warburg, and writer Gustave Flaubert were all thought to have promoted the phrase as well.

So where does the devil part come in?  Apparently, there is an unanticipated element, a lurking hitch that makes any undertaking with multiple moving parts that much more uniquely challenging, thus the devil. And today, such challenges abound. Whether in law, healthcare, or the creative arts, the devil often emerges at the most inconvenient stage.

 Every profession has its devils. In the theatrical production world, there might be a discontinued lighting gel, a malfunctioning stage prop, or a damaged costume to contend with. In the beauty world, a cherished product line may have been plucked from the shelf to the dismay of cosmetic consumers.  And in healthcare, it may mean many things such as implementing new treatment approaches. The goal ultimately becomes finding creative solutions despite the obstacles.

Lately, I have also been thinking about how we manage personal details, those endless, cyclical responsibilities, despite pushback from our inner reserves to pause and reset, maybe take a vacation or at least unplug for 24 hours. Nobody but we ourselves know how these musings will play out as we steady on to task completion while hopefully maintaining our compassion and sense of humor.

End note:

The Devil is in the details, Accessed April, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_devil_is_in_the_details#;