Page:The reflections of Lichtenberg.djvu/43

 says so in earnest, has undoubtedly not as yet become acquainted with all kinds of it, whether in substance or in form. Intelligent people, it is true, hate ordinary flattery, because they must necessarily feel themselves degraded by the credulity which the flattering fool imputes to them. Thus they dislike ordinary flattery simply because for them it is none. From my experience I absolutely refuse to believe that there is any great difference among men in respect of flattery: it is only a matter of putting another form. Everyone has his special coin in which he wishes to be paid. In Otaheite it is tin-tacks,things which our beauties would have to be stark mad to consider of so much value. We have tin-tacks of another sort.

Truly, men make too little use of their lives ; and so it is no wonder that the world should still be in such a poor way. How do we occupy our old age? In defending opinions; not because we believe them true, but because we once publicly said that we thought they were. Good heavens, if only old people would bestow their time upon admonition instead! Individuals do indeed grow old, but the race is still young. The fact that we are so backward in making use of our lives is a proof that the world is not yet in its old age. What a fine thing it would be if the aged were to tell us a little more about what should be avoided, and what they ought to have done to have become greater than they are. It is a dangerous thing for the perfecting of our