Precept & Practice – MAY 26 – Vulgarity

A vulgar regard for appearance is, primarily, a selfish one, resulting not out of a wish to give pleasure (as a wife’s wish to make herself beautiful for her husband), but out of an endeavour to mortify others, or attract for pride’s sake;- the common ‘keeping up of appearances’ of society being a mere selfish struggle of the vain with the vain.   But the deepest stain of the vulgarity depends on this being done, not selfishly only but stupidly, without understanding the impression which is really produced, nor the relations of importance between oneself and others, so as to suppose that their attention is fixed upon us, when we are in reality ciphers in their eyes,- all which comes of insensibility. Hence pride simple is not vulgar (the looking down on others because of their true inferiority to us), nor vanity simple (the desire of praise);  but conceit simple (the attribution to ourselves of qualities we have not) is always so.   In cases of over-studied pronunciation, etc., there is insensibility, first in the person’s thinking more of himself than of what he is saying;  and, secondly, in his not having musical fineness of ear enough to feel that his talking is uneasy and strained.

Ruskin

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From the Introduction to Precept and Practice

The kindly welcome given to my other little books, ‘Being and Doing’ and ‘Character and Conduct,’ must be my excuse for adding another collection of extracts to the number now in circulation.

The quotations are gathered from the books of many earnest thinkers, and deal with Life in all its length and breadth, with ourselves, our characters, our plain unvarnished faults and weaknesses, our often untoward circumstances, and with all that drags us down;-  with our purposes, our religion, our love and friendships, and with all that uplifts us;-  with our relation to others, our influence and responsibilities, and finally with those stages of our journey which bring us to the Road’s Last Turn and to the Silent Land.

CONSTANCE  M. WHISHAW