Just is not by other men of intelligence that an intelligent an is afraid of being thought a fool, so it is not by the great gentleman but by boors and 'bounders' that a man of fashion is afraid of finding his social value underrated. Three-fourths of the mental ingenuity displayed, of the social falsehoods scattered broadcast ever since the world began by people whose importance they have served only to diminish, have been aimed at inferiors. Marcel Proust
About This Quote

In this quote, Samuel Johnson participates in a phenomenon known as the "Newton's Folly" of social comparison. In this case, Mr. Johnson makes the assumption that people are more likely to have an opinion of an intelligent person than they are to have an opinion of a fool. He goes on to say that, rather than great men being respected for their intellect, it is the common man who is feared for his stupidity.

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  1. Love is a striking example of how little reality means to us.
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