Autobiographical fiction; Domestic fiction; Male authors -- Fiction; Men -- Fiction; Psychological fiction
And as for those who noways pretend with themselves to regulate their
deportment by considerations of genuine benevolence, and to whom such
courteous profferings hypocritically come from persons whom they suspect
for secret enemies; then to such minds not only will their own worldly
tactics at once forbid the uncivil blank repulse of such offers; but if
they are secretly malicious as well as frigid, or if they are at all
capable of being fully gratified by the sense of concealed superiority
and mastership (which precious few men are) then how delightful for such
persons under the guise of mere acquiescence in his own voluntary
civilities, to make genteel use of their foe. For one would like to
know, what were foes made for except to be used? In the rude ages men
hunted and javelined the tiger, because they hated him for a
mischief-minded wild-beast; but in these enlightened times, though we
love the tiger as little as ever, still we mostly hunt him for the sake
of his skin. A wise man then will wear his tiger; every morning put on
his tiger for a robe to keep him warm and adorn him. In this view, foes
are far more desirable than friends; for who would hunt and kill his own
faithful affectionate dog for the sake of his skin? and is a dog's skin
as valuable as a tiger's? Cases there are where it becomes soberly
advisable, by direct arts to convert some well-wishers into foes. It is
false that in point of policy a man should never make enemies. As
well-wishers some men may not only be nugatory but positive obstacles in
your peculiar plans; but as foes you may subordinately cement them into
your general design.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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