The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 9, May, 1835Various
History
The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 9, May, 1835
Various
American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals
As thus explained, it is very evident that these two great principles,
pride and vanity, must have almost omnipotent sway in the formation of
character. Chenevix, in his work on national character, and Adam Smith
in his theory of moral sentiments, make the whole human character to
hinge on these two qualities. When pride is excessive, you have for
the most part a haughty isolated independent taciturn being, who,
wrapt up in himself, and his own ideal perfections, despises the
opinions of those around him, and treats the world with austerity and
scorn. His social defects are bluntness, rudeness, and a want of
sympathy and compassion. But then he is a being who is firm and steady
in his character, and unwavering in his resolves. He may be relied on,
if you can ever win him to your side. When vanity is excessive, you
have a being the very reverse of the one just described. He is social,
loquacious, polite and attentive to all around him. He has no fixed
character or opinion of his own: the opinion of the world is the
looking glass in which he daily dresses himself. Affectation and
disingenuousness are his social defects. Win him to your side to-day,
and to-morrow when he finds the other the most popular, he will desert
you without hesitation. He is a treacherous friend. When these two
qualities are properly combined, you have the perfect character.
Now it is easy to see, from what has already been said, that of the
two sexes man is the prouder, and woman the vainer. The greater
physical strength of man, the occupations in which he is engaged, his
self dependence and self sufficiency, make him generally more proud
and less vain than woman, who being weaker than man, and more
dependent on others, is obliged to seek their esteem and applause, in
order that through their attachment and love, she may exercise a power
which she finds not within herself. The desire to please is
undoubtedly the ruling passion in the female heart. As I have before
observed, her virtue is a much more sensitive and tender plant, than
that of man: it can much more easily be tarnished, by the breath of
public opinion; and when her reputation is once lost, it can never be
regained. Hence the good opinion of the world is all in all to her.
She endeavors to secure it by every means. She is generally more gay
and cheerful, more loquacious and polite, infinitely more amiable and
agreeable in the social circle, and she trifles with more grace and
elegance. For the same reason she adorns and perfects her beauty more,
and endeavors to heighten and polish her natural endowments by the aid
of artificial ornaments. "I have observed, (says Ledyard,) among all
nations, that the women ornament themselves more than the men; that
they are ever inclined to be gay, cheerful, timorous and modest." They
are more observant of fashions and of etiquette, and, as we shall
presently see, they have more tact, more nice discrimination of
feeling and discernment of character than men have. Women are
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