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Pride & Vanity

Pride & vanity are dispositions of mind – not necessarily, or even ordinarily manifested by single acts.
So intimate is the relation between pride & vanity that to uncover them together
is likely to facilitate thr correct ideas of both. Both are the desire of esteem –
taking somewhat different directions – & employing different means of
gratification. To the proud man & the vain man The esteem of those, who on whom they believe their well-being to depend
is the common object of pursuit.

And in both cases the important question is. This pride – this
vanity – is it of the nature of virtue, – or of vice? If of virtue, of what
virtue? if of vice, of what vice?

In the proud man, the desire of esteem is accompanied with
contempt, – or disesteem for those whose esteem he desires to obtain. In the
vain man this is not the case.

The value of the esteem being less in the eyes of the proud
than of the vain man, – a greater portion of that esteem would be is required
to give the proud man equal gratification with that which the vain
man would receive from a lesser portion. And thus the state of the
proud man's mind is generally that of dissatisfaction – a dissatisfaction which
may be read even in his countenance.

Melancholy & malevolence, one or both, are thence the usual
companions of pride – sometimes acting as a causes, sometimes as effects of pride, –sometimes
in both characters. Hilarity on the contrary is the common accompaniment
of vanity – hilarity & sometimes oftentimes benevolence. From a small manifestation of
esteem, vanity receives a great gratification, – the smaller the manifestation
the more easily obtained – hence the more frequently – & the more frequently
the more frequent are the causes of exhiliration.

Pride is naturally conjoined with taciturnity. Vanity with
loquacity talkativeness. The proud man sits still and waits for those demonstrations of
esteem which he desires to obtain. Their value to him depends on their being
spontaneous. He will not call – or at least will not appear to call for them –
he will rather tarry for their arrival – & thus must possess the faculty of
self-command to enable him to do so. Esteem is the food he hungers for – & his
meal must be a full one – but he is able to fast.

Not so the vain man. His appetite is still keener than
that of the proud man. No quantity of its food will definitely satiate it, –
tho' a small quantity will gratify – & for a time will satisfy it. He
therefore goes from door to door & at every door craves those supplies
for which he has a perpetually self-renewing hunger.

Taken by itself, pride is scarcely ever used but in a bad
sense – as descriptive of vice – with an adjunct it may be used in a good
sense, and become a virtue. Witness, honest, becoming, dignified pride. But
even here a feeling attaches to it that such phraseology is not strictly proper – & a sense of
something figurative or rhetorical hangs about it.

Identifier: | JB/015/275/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	015	Main Headings	deontology
Folio number	275	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles	pride & vanity
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f125
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5491
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