setting himself below the one praised. But praise usually proceeds
down from above, and then, implicitly, we disparage him whom we
profess to exalt.

Nor do I see how this is to be avoided; for praise belongs to goodness
gained by effort, while excellence is not reached till effort ceases
in second nature. To assert through praise that goodness is still a
struggle is to set the good man back from our third stage to our
second. In fact by the time he really reaches excellence praise has
lost its fitness, goodness now being easier than badness, and no
longer something difficult, unexpected, and demanding reward. For this
reason those persons are usually most greedy of praise who have a
rather low opinion of themselves. Being afraid that they are not
remarkable, they are peculiarly delighted when people assure them that
they are. Accordingly the greatest protection against vanity is pride.
The proud man, assured of his powers, hears the little praisers and is
amused. How much more he knows about it than they! Inner worth stops
the greedy ear. When we have something to be vain about, we are seldom
vain.



VIII

But if all this is true, why should praise be sweet? In candor most of
us will own that there is little else so desired. When almost every
other form of dependence is laid by, to our secret hearts the good
words of neighbors are dear. And well they may be! Our pleasure
testifies how closely we are knitted together. We cannot be satisfied
with a separated consciousness, but demand that the consciousness of