Saturday, August 12, 2017

Sincere but not Simple

Bishop Fenelon

“It [simplicity] is not the same as sincerity, which is a much humbler virtue. Many people are sincere who are not simple. They say nothing but what they believe to be true, and do not aim at appearing anything but what they are. But they are forever thinking about themselves, weighing their every word and thought, and dwelling upon themselves in apprehension of having done too much or too little. These people are sincere but they are not simple. They are not at their ease with others, nor others with them. There is nothing easy, frank, unrestrained or natural about them. One feels that one would like less admirable people better, who were not so stiff.”

The Perennial Philosophy, Aldous Huxley, page 113

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3 comments:

  1. It seems to me the brilliant Bishop is describing egoic goodness (sincere) vs. simplicity. The former is a doing kind of goodness and the latter is about being. And isn't the allusion to the "less admirable" wonderful, not to mention in line with Jesus's social approach. Let's hear it for the less admirable! Peter

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    1. I also remember that the Bishop warned: Do not trust the humility that can still talk about itself!

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