The 128 most classic philosophical essays in the world

Chapter 49 Vanity
[UK] bacon
The ostentatious are despised by the wise, envied by the foolish, flattered by the sycophants, and are at the same time the slaves of their own boastful words.

Aesop said it very well in one of his fables: "Say the fly sitting on the axle of the chariot, How much dust I raise!"

Indeed, there are plenty of conceited people in the world who think that whatever they do, whether it happens automatically or is motivated by other factors, so long as they have even the slightest influence in it, they think that it depends entirely on their own interests. their strength.

People who show off must be aggressive, because all boasting depends on comparison.This kind of person must also be very extreme, because in this way he can support his various boasting.They can't keep secrets, so they are of no practical use.They are, as a French saying goes: "Big voice, small result."

In politics, however, this quality does have its uses.These people are good drummers whenever people need to build up a reputation of great talent and virtue.Also, lying about the dealings between the parties involved can have very good results.For example, if a man negotiates between two kings and wants them to unite to fight a third party, he exaggerates the strength of the other party to both parties; Both exaggerate their status in the other party's mind in order to enhance their prestige in the minds of both parties.In matters such as this one tends to get results out of thin air, and opinions can lead to substantial change.

Among generals and soldiers, vanity is an indispensable thing.For as iron irons iron, men's courage sharpens one another by glory.In great undertakings that depend on definite orders and adventures, the addition of some honorable natures can invigorate the cause, while those whose natures are thick and calm are more like ballast than sail.

In terms of knowledge and fame, if there are no feathers to show off, the rise of this reputation will be very slow. "He who writes that glory should not be valued has his name on the title page." Socrates, Aristotle, and Galen were all boasters.Vanity does help a person's name go down in history, and the reason why virtue has been indirectly rewarded cannot but be attributed to human nature.

This vanity is like the paint on the ceiling, it makes the ceiling not only shiny but also durable.But having said so long, when I use the word "vanity," I do not mean Musianus "who skillfully embellished his every move, every word he did."For this quality does not spring from vanity, but from natural generosity and prudence, and these qualities are not only beautiful but graceful in some people, and apology, concession, and modesty, when well controlled, are but ostentatious arts.Of these arts of boasting there is none better than that of Pliny the Younger.That is, in a certain aspect of your own strengths, if another person also has a little strength, you should praise that person a lot without hesitation.He put it wisely: "When you praise someone, you are actually doing yourself a favor. Because the person you praise is either better than you or worse than you in that respect. If he is not as good as you, then since he is worthy of praise, You are more worthy of praise; if he is worse than you, if he is not worthy of praise, you are less worthy of praise."

The ostentatious are despised by the wise, envied by the foolish, flattered by the sycophants, and are at the same time the slaves of their own boastful words.

Heart mark notes
What is vanity?Vanity is an excess of self-esteem, the fear of being hurt to disguise one's appearance.How many people have suffocated their freedom and suppressed their humanity under excessive vanity, and often lost the state they should be.

In fact, everyone has vanity, and vanity only varies in size, not in presence or absence.Excessive vanity is bad, but proper vanity is not a bad thing, let alone a disadvantage.As Bacon said, vanity is like paint, it not only makes the object look gorgeous but also protects the object itself.This kind of moderate vanity is not a comparison, but like self-confidence, it is a powerful motivation to motivate people.

Vanity, a psychology that can easily become a negative quality, as long as it is controlled within the allowable range, then life can be a healthy life and a wonderful life.

(End of this chapter)