“The wisest and the best of men—nay, the wisest and best of their actions--may be rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke."
"Certainly," replied Elizabeth—‘there are such people, but I hope I am not one of THEM. I hope I never ridicule what is wise and good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies, DO divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can. But these, I suppose, are precisely what you are without."
"Perhaps that is not possible for anyone. But it has been the study of my life to avoid those weaknesses which often expose a strong understanding to ridicule."
"Such as vanity and pride."
"Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride—where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation."
Jane Austen,
Pride and Prejudice, ch. 11 (colloquy between Elizabeth and Darcy)
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