40.
For we are lovers of the beautiful, yet simple in our tastes, and we cultivate the mind
without loss of manliness.
Wealth we employ, not for talk and ostentation, but when there is a real use for it.
To avow poverty with us is no disgrace; the true disgrace is in doing nothing to avoid
it.
[2]
An Athenian citizen does not neglect the state because he takes care of his own
household; and even those of us who are engaged in business have a very fair idea of
politics.
We alone regard a man who takes no interest in public affairs, not as a harmless, but
as a useless character; and if few of us are originators, we are all sound judges of a
policy. The great impediment to action is, in our opinion, not discussion,
but the want of that knowledge which is gained by discussion preparatory to action.
[3]
For we have a peculiar power of thinking before we act and of acting too,
whereas other men are courageous from ignorance but hesitate upon reflection.
And they are surely to be esteemed the bravest spirits who, having the clearest sense
both of the pains and pleasures of life, do not on that account shrink from danger.
[4]
In doing good, again, we are unlike others; we make our friends by conferring, not by
receiving favours.
Now he who confers a favour is the firmer friend, because he would fain by kindness
keep alive the memory of an obligation; but the recipient is colder in his feelings,
because he knows that in requiting another's generosity he will not be winning gratitude
but only paying a debt.
[5]
We alone do good to our neighbours not upon a calculation of interest, but in the
confidence of freedom and in a frank and fearless spirit.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.