From my point of view, The Mechanics of Virtue, , aphorism 278
278
From my point of view, it shows as much taste to sniff the cork as to stick it up my nose, but nonetheless I do sniff it to avoid putting my “non-conformity” on display. I feel pretty much the same way about dancing. I would just as soon dance to rock and roll as leap up and down naked to the beat of hollow logs, but refusing to dance puts myself on display. A universally acknowledged, “elegant” ballroom dance leaves me relishing the sights and sounds consequent of hollow logs, but I must don the tuxedo and go through the steps of convention. My taste often requires more conformity than nonconformity. For personally I find self-righteous behavior tasteless, and to resist such through a deceitful conformity suits my taste better than masking my urge for prominent display with “my highest principles.” I am a hypocrite either way and acknowledge that I yield ... but not without a hint of a principle that is a sort of self-righteousness of its own, but it suits my taste, my sense of dignity....
From my point of view, it shows as much taste to sniff the cork as to stick it up my nose, but nonetheless I do sniff it to avoid putting my “non-conformity” on display. I feel pretty much the same way about dancing. I would just as soon dance to rock and roll as leap up and down naked to the beat of hollow logs, but refusing to dance puts myself on display. A universally acknowledged, “elegant” ballroom dance leaves me relishing the sights and sounds consequent of hollow logs, but I must don the tuxedo and go through the steps of convention. My taste often requires more conformity than nonconformity. For personally I find self-righteous behavior tasteless, and to resist such through a deceitful conformity suits my taste better than masking my urge for prominent display with “my highest principles.” I am a hypocrite either way and acknowledge that I yield ... but not without a hint of a principle that is a sort of self-righteousness of its own, but it suits my taste, my sense of dignity....