Of Manly Prudence: Vanity & Bravado
Unlike a lot of folks, I have a fondness for those who are vain, arrogant, and full of bravado; the truly proud rarely exhibit such traits. This may seem strange. It isn't, and here's why: people who exhibit vanity/bravado/arrogance are usually (at least in my experience) delightfully squishy underneath. And today I ran across what is perhaps the most eloquent summation of this idea, the second prudence observed by Zarathustra:
This, however, is my second manly prudence: I am more considerate to the vain than to the proud. Is wounded vanity not the mother of all tragedies? But where pride is wounded there surely grows up something better than pride. If life is to be pleasant to watch, its play must be well acted: for that, however, good actors are needed. I found all vain people to be good actors: they act and desire that others shall want to watch them - all their spirit is in this desire. They act themselves, they invent themselves; I like to watch life in their vicinity ... who can estimate the full depth of the vain man's modesty! ... He wants to learn belief in himself from you; he feeds upon your glances, he eats praise out of your hands. He believes even your lies when you lie favourably to him... And if
the virtue that is unconscious of itself be the true virtue: well, the vain man is unconscious of his modesty!
Of Manly Prudence from Thus Spoke Zarathustra (emphasis in bold is mine; emphasis in italics is original.)
I love the vain ~ they are perhaps the most modest of us all. And my dear vain ones know who you are.
This, however, is my second manly prudence: I am more considerate to the vain than to the proud. Is wounded vanity not the mother of all tragedies? But where pride is wounded there surely grows up something better than pride. If life is to be pleasant to watch, its play must be well acted: for that, however, good actors are needed. I found all vain people to be good actors: they act and desire that others shall want to watch them - all their spirit is in this desire. They act themselves, they invent themselves; I like to watch life in their vicinity ... who can estimate the full depth of the vain man's modesty! ... He wants to learn belief in himself from you; he feeds upon your glances, he eats praise out of your hands. He believes even your lies when you lie favourably to him... And if
the virtue that is unconscious of itself be the true virtue: well, the vain man is unconscious of his modesty!
Of Manly Prudence from Thus Spoke Zarathustra (emphasis in bold is mine; emphasis in italics is original.)
I love the vain ~ they are perhaps the most modest of us all. And my dear vain ones know who you are.