The world loves to be amused by hollow professions, to be deceived by flattering appearances, to live in a state of hallucination; and can forgive everything but the plain, downright, simple, honest truth.
William HazlittRead
Pride is founded not on the sense of happiness, but on the sense of power.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Pride stems more from a feeling of control and authority than from genuine happiness.
This quote by William Hazlitt suggests that true pride does not arise from a state of happiness but rather from an individual's perception of their own power and authority. It implies that when one feels powerful, they are more likely to exhibit pride, indicating that this emotion is rooted in one's perception of their status rather than their emotional well-being.
Themes
PrideHappinessPowerControlSelf-Worth
In practice
Example use cases
In a leadership workshop discussing the nature of pride and its implications on decision-making.
More from William Hazlitt
All quotes βOur repugnance to death increases in proportion to our consciousness of having lived in vain.
William HazlittRead
We can bear to be deprived of everything but our self-conceit.
William HazlittRead
There are few things in which we deceive ourselves more than in the esteem we profess to entertain for our firends. It is little better than a piece of quackery. The truth is, we think of them as we please, that is, as they please or displease us.
William HazlittRead
Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it.
William HazlittRead
One is always more vexed at losing a game of any sort by a single hole or ace, than if one has never had a chance of winning it.
William HazlittRead
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