Hewouldnotpretendtothemifhedidnotearnestlydesiretopossessthem。encouragethisdesire；affordhimeverymeanstofacilitatetheacquisition；anddonottaketoomuchoffence，althoughheshouldsometimesassumetheairofhavingattaineditalittlebeforethetime。
Such，Isay，arethedistinguishingcharacteristicsofprideandvanity，wheneachofthemactsaccordingtoitspropercharacter。Buttheproudmanisoftenvain；andthevainmanisoftenproud。Nothingcanbemorenaturalthanthattheman，whothinksmuchmorehighlyofhimselfthanhedeserves，shouldwishthatotherpeopleshouldthinkstillmorehighlyofhim:orthattheman，whowishesthatotherpeopleshouldthinkmorehighlyofhimthanhethinksofhimself，should，atthesametime，thinkmuchmorehighlyofhimselfthanhedeserves。Thosetwovicesbeingfrequentlyinthesamecharacter，thecharacteristicsofbotharenecessarilyconfounded；andwesometimesfindthesuperficialandimpertinentostentationofvanityjoinedtothemostmalignantandderisiveinsolenceofpride。Wearesometimes，uponthataccount，atalosshowtorankaparticularcharacter，orwhethertoplaceitamongtheproudoramongthevain。
Menofmeritconsiderablyabovethecommonlevel，sometimesunderrateaswellasover-ratethemselves。Suchcharacters，thoughnotverydignified，areoften，inprivatesociety，farfrombeingdisagreeable。Hiscompanionsallfeelthemselvesmuchattheireaseinthesocietyofamansoperfectlymodestandunassuming。Ifthosecompanions，however，havenotbothmorediscernmentandmoregenerositythanordinary，thoughtheymayhavesomekindnessforhim，theyhaveseldommuchrespect；andthewarmthoftheirkindnessisveryseldomsufficienttocompensatethecoldnessoftheirrespect。Menofnomorethanordinarydiscernmentneverrateanypersonhigherthanheappearstoratehimself。Heseemsdoubtfulhimself，theysay，whetherheisperfectlyfitforsuchasituationorsuchanoffice；andimmediatelygivethepreferencetosomeimpudentblockheadwhoentertainsnodoubtabouthisownqualifications。Thoughtheyshouldhavediscernment，yet，iftheywantgenerosity，theyneverfailtotakeadvantageofhissimplicity，andtoassumeoverhimanimpertinentsuperioritywhichtheyarebynomeansentitledto。Hisgood-naturemayenablehimtobearthisforsometime；
buthegrowswearyatlast，andfrequentlywhenitistoolate，andwhenthatrank，whichheoughttohaveassumed，islostirrecoverably，andusurped，inconsequenceofhisownbackwardness，bysomeofhismoreforward，thoughmuchlessmeritoriouscompanions。Amanofthischaractermusthavebeenveryfortunateintheearlychoiceofhiscompanions，if，ingoingthroughtheworld，hemeetsalwayswithfairjustice，evenfromthosewhom，fromhisownpastkindness，hemighthavesomereasontoconsiderashisbestfriends；andayouth，toounassumingandtoounambitious，isfrequentlyfollowedbyaninsignificant，complaining，anddiscontentedoldage。
Thoseunfortunatepersonswhomnaturehasformedagooddealbelowthecommonlevel，seemsometimestoratethemselvesstillmorebelowitthantheyreallyare。Thishumilityappearssometimestosinkthemintoidiotism。Whoeverhastakenthetroubletoexamineidiotswithattention，willfindthat，inmanyofthem，thefacultiesoftheunderstandingarebynomeansweakerthaninseveralotherpeople，who，thoughacknowledgedtobedullandstupid，arenot，byanybody，accountedidiots。Manyidiots，withnomorethanordinaryeducation，havebeentaughttoread，write，andaccounttolerablywell。Manypersons，neveraccountedidiots，notwithstandingthemostcarefuleducation，andnotwithstandingthat，intheiradvancedage，theyhavehadspiritenoughtoattempttolearnwhattheirearlyeducationhadnottaughtthem，haveneverbeenabletoacquire，inanytolerabledegree，anyoneofthosethreeaccomplishments。Byaninstinctofpride，however，theysetthemselvesuponalevelwiththeirequalsinageandsituation；and，withcourageandfirmness，maintaintheirproperstationamongtheircompanions。Byanoppositeinstinct，theidiotfeelshimselfbeloweverycompanyintowhichyoucanintroducehim。Ill-usage，towhichheisextremelyliable，iscapableofthrowinghimintothemostviolentfitsofrageandfury。Butnogoodusage，nokindnessorindulgence，caneverraisehimtoconversewithyouasyourequal。Ifyoucanbringhimtoconversewithyouatall，however，youwillfrequentlyfindhisanswerssufficientlypertinent，andevensensible。Buttheyarealwaysstampedwithadistinctconsciousnessofhisowngreatinferiority。Heseemstoshrinkand，asitwere，toretirefromyourlookandconversation；andtofeel，whenheplaceshimselfinyoursituation，that，notwithstandingyourapparentcondescension，youcannothelpconsideringhimasimmenselybelowyou。Someidiots，perhapsthegreaterpart，seemtobeso，chieflyoraltogether，fromacertainnumbnessortorpidityinthefacultiesoftheunderstanding。Butthereareothers，inwhomthosefacultiesdonotappearmoretorpidorbenumbedthaninmanyotherpeoplewhoarenotaccountedidiots。Butthatinstinctofpride，necessarytosupportthemuponanequalitywiththeirbrethren，seemstotallywantingintheformerandnotinthelatter。