BOOK III PART III
tensions.
The necessary consequence of these princi-
ples is, that pride, or an over-weaning conceit
of ourselves, must be vicious; since it causes
uneasiness in all men, and presents them ev-
ery moment with a disagreeable comparison. It
is a trite observation in philosophy, and even
in common life and conversation, that it is
our own pride, which makes us so much dis-
pleased with the pride of other people; and
that vanity becomes insupportable to us merely
because we are vain. The gay naturally asso-
ciate themselves with the gay, and the amorous
with the amorous: But the proud never can
endure the proud, and rather seek the com-
pany of those who are of an opposite dispo-
sition. As we are, all of us, proud in some
degree, pride is universally blamed and con-