world, if he imagines that he can make himself popular in society by
exhibiting intelligence and discernment. With the immense majority
of people, such qualities excite hatred and resentment, which are
rendered all the harder to bear by the fact that people are obliged to
suppress--even from themselves--the real reason of their anger.
What actually takes place is this. A man feels and perceives that the
person with whom he is conversing is intellectually very much his
superior.[1]
[Footnote 1: Cf. _Welt als Wills und Vorstellung_, Bk. II. p. 256 (4th
Edit.), where I quote from Dr. Johnson, and from Merck, the friend
of Goethe's youth. The former says: _There is nothing by which a man
exasperates most people more, than by displaying a superior ability of
brilliancy in conversation. They seem pleased at the time, but their
envy makes them curse him at their hearts._ (Boswells _Life of
Johnson_ aetat: 74).]
He thereupon secretly and half unconsciously concludes that his
interlocutor must form a proportionately low and limited estimate of
his abilities. That is a method of reasoning--an enthymeme--which
rouses the bitterest feelings of sullen and rancorous hatred. And so
Gracian is quite right in saying that the only way to win affection
from people is to show the most animal-like simplicity of
demeanor--_para ser bien quisto, el unico medio vestirse la piel del
mas simple de los brutos_.[1]
[Footnote 1: _Translator's Note_.--Balthazar Graeian, _Oraculo manual,
y arte de prudencia_, 240. Gracian (1584-1658) was a Spanish prose
writer and Jesuit, whose works deal chiefly with the observation
of character in the various phenomena of life. Schopenhauer, among
others, had a great admiration for his worldly philosophy, and
translated his _Oraculo manual_--a system of rules for the conduct of
life--into German. The same book was translated into English towards
the close of the seventeenth century.]
To show your intelligence and discernment is only an indirect way of
reproaching other people for being dull and incapable. And besides, it
is natural for a vulgar man to be violently agitated by the sight of
opposition in any form; and in this case envy comes in as the secret
cause of his hostility. For it is a matter of daily observation that
people take the greatest pleasure in that which satisfies their
vanity; and vanity cannot be satisfied without comparison with others.
Now, there is nothing of which a man is prouder than of intellectual
ability, for it is this that gives him his commanding place in the
animal world. It is an exceedingly rash thing to let any one see that
you are decidedly superior to him in this respect, and to let other
people see it too; because he will then thirst for vengeance, and
generally look about for an opportunity of taking it by means of
insult, because this is to pass from the sphere of _intellect_ to
that of _will_--and there, all are on an equal footing as regards the
feeling of hostility. Hence, while rank and riches may always reckon
upon deferential treatment in society, that is something which
intellectual ability can never expect; to be ignored is the greatest
favor shown to it; and if people notice it at all, it is because they
regard it as a piece of impertinence, or else as something to which
its possessor has no legitimate right, and upon which he dares to
pride himself; and in retaliation and revenge for his conduct, people
secretly try and humiliate him in some other way; and if they wait to
do this, it is only for a fitting opportunity. A man may be as humble
as possible in his demeanor, and yet hardly ever get people to
overlook his crime in standing intellectually above them. In the
_Garden of Roses_, Sadi makes the remark:--_You should know that
foolish people are a hundredfold more averse to meeting the wise than
the wise are indisposed for the company of the foolish_.
On the other hand, it is a real recommendation to be stupid. For just
as warmth is agreeable to the body, so it does the mind good to feel
its superiority; and a man will seek company likely to give him this
feeling, as instinctively as he will approach the fireplace or walk
in the sun if he wants to get warm. But this means that he will be
disliked on account of his superiority; and if a man is to be liked,
he must really be inferior in point of intellect; and the same thing
holds good of a woman in point of beauty. To give proof of real and
unfeigned inferiority to some of the people you meet--that is a very
difficult business indeed!
Consider how kindly and heartily a girl who is passably pretty will
welcome one who is downright ugly. Physical advantages are not thought
so much of in the case of man, though I suppose you would rather a
little man sat next to you than one who was bigger than yourself. This
is why, amongst men, it is the dull and ignorant, and amongst women,
the ugly, who are always popular and in request.[1] It is likely to
be said of such people that they are extremely good-natured, because
every one wants to find a pretext for caring about them--a pretext
which will blind both himself and other people to the real reason why
he likes them. This is also why mental superiority of any sort always
tends to isolate its possessor; people run away from him out of
pure hatred, and say all manner of bad things about him by way of
justifying their action. Beauty, in the case of women, has a similar
effect: very pretty girls have no friends of their own sex, and they
even find it hard to get another girl to keep them company. A handsome
woman should always avoid applying for a position as companion,
because the moment she enters the room, her prospective mistress will
scowl at her beauty, as a piece of folly with which, both for her own
and for her daughter's sake, she can very well dispense. But if the
girl has advantages of rank, the case is very different; because rank,
unlike personal qualities which work by the force of mere contrast,
produces its effect by a process of reflection; much in the same
way as the particular hue of a person's complexion depends upon the
prevailing tone of his immediate surroundings.
[Footnote 1: If you desire to get on in the world, friends and
acquaintances are by far the best passport to fortune. The possession
of a great deal of ability makes a man proud, and therefore not apt to
flatter those who have very little, and from whom, on that account,
the possession of great ability should be carefully concealed. The
consciousness of small intellectual power has just the opposite
effect, and is very compatible with a humble, affable and
companionable nature, and with respect for what is mean and wretched.
This is why an inferior sort of man has so many friends to befriend
and encourage him.
These remarks are applicable not only to advancement in political
life, but to all competition for places of honor and dignity, nay,
even for reputation in the world of science, literature and art. In
learned societies, for example, mediocrity--that very acceptable
quality--is always to the fore, whilst merit meets with tardy
recognition, or with none at all. So it is in everything.]