Inhibition, The Mechanics of Virtue, Matt Berry, aphorism 65
65
Wouldn’t a private honesty which did not compromise itself in public be indistinguishable from uninhibited behavior? And wouldn’t such a person be indistinguishable from an idiot?
And then we must consider the alternative: inhibited behavior would be indistinguishable from dishonesty – one does not do what one thinks.
However,
- Inhibition is required in any attempt at self-control
- Conscious thought ... the attempt to understand and guide action is anything but uninhibited.
Do self-control and wisdom require public dishonesty?