avoid making a show of it

avoid making a show of it

cxxiii

Avoid falsehoods.

The more advantages one has, the more one should avoid the pretensions that give everything a vulgar flavor. For it annoys others, and the affected person becomes a martyr for caring, and torments himself. For it appears to be prideful and artificial, not a product of nature. I am always convinced that those who appear to be virtuous are not virtuous. The more trouble one takes with a thing, the more one must conceal it and make it appear to arise naturally from one's own natural disposition. But one must not fall into influence by appearing to be unaffected, in order to avoid influence. The wise man seems to be ignorant of his own merits, and it is only by being unaware of them that he can arouse the attention of others. He is twice great who has all integrity in the opinion of all but himself, and he wins applause by two opposite paths.

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