190 ARISTOTLE
Further, we think of a slow gait as characteristic of a high-minded man, a deep
voice, and a deliberate way of speaking. For a man who takes few things seriously is
unlikely to be in a hurry, and a person who regards nothing as great is not one to be
excitable. But a shrill voice and a swift gait are due to hurry and excitement.
Such, then, is the high-minded man. A man who falls short is small-minded,
and one who exceeds is vain. Now here, too, these people are not considered to be
bad—for they are not evildoers—but only mistaken. For a small-minded man
deprives himself of the good he deserves. What seems to be bad about him is due to
the fact that he does not think he deserves good things and that he does not know
himself; if he did, he would desire what he deserves, especially since it is good. It is
not that such people are regarded as foolish, but rather [that they are looked upon] as
retiring. However, a reputation of this sort seems to make them even worse. For while
any given kind of man strives to get what he deserves, these people keep aloof even
from noble actions and pursuits and from external goods as well, because they con-
sider themselves undeserving.
Vain people, on the other hand, are fools and do not know themselves, and
they show it openly. They take in hand honorable enterprises of which they are
not worthy, and then they are found out. They deck themselves out with clothes
and showy gear and that sort of thing, and wish to publicize what fortune has
given them. They talk about their good fortune in the belief that that will bring
them honor.20
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Alexander the Great,detail from ancient Roman mosaic of the Battle of Issus. Aristotle tutored the young
Alexander and later benefitted from Alexander’s patronage. (Corbis/Bettmann)