Nicomachean Ethics

​The mean state between boastfulness and self-deprecation is concerned with almost the same things; and it too is unnamed. But it is not a bad thing to go through such states as well; for we would know more about character by going through each of them, and we would believe that the virtues are mean states by seeing that this is so in all cases. Now, those who associate in living together for the sake of pleasure or pain have been discussed; let us speak likewise about those who tell the truth or falsehood in words, actions, and pretense. It seems, then, that the boastful person is one who pretends to have glorious things that do not belong to him, or to have them to a greater degree than he does; while the self-deprecating person, on the contrary, disclaims what he has or makes it less; and the person in the mean, being a sort of straightforward person, is truthful both in life and in word, admitting that what belongs to him exists, and neither more nor less. It is possible to do each of these things either for some purpose or for none. And each person speaks, acts, and lives according to the kind of person he is, unless he acts for some purpose. Now, falsehood is in itself bad and blameworthy, while truth is noble and praiseworthy. So also the truthful person, being in the mean, is praiseworthy, while those who tell falsehoods are both blameworthy, but the boastful person more so. Let us speak about each of them, and first about the truthful person. For we are not speaking of the person who is truthful in agreements, nor of things that contribute to injustice or justice (for that would belong to another virtue), but of the one who, in cases where nothing of this sort makes a difference, is truthful both in word and in life because he is of such a character by his state of character. And such a person would seem to be decent. For the lover of truth, who is truthful even when it makes no difference, will be even more truthful when it does make a difference; for he will avoid falsehood as something disgraceful, which he already avoided even for its own sake. And such a person is praiseworthy. He tends to incline rather to less than the truth; for this appears to be more in tune, because excesses are annoying. On the other hand, the one who pretends to have greater things than he has for no purpose resembles a bad person (for he would not have rejoiced in falsehood otherwise), but appears foolish rather than wicked; but if he does so for some purpose, the one who does so for the sake of reputation or honor is not very blameworthy, as the boastful person, while the one who does so for money, or what leads to money, is more disgraceful (for the boastful person is defined not by his capacity but by his choice; for he is boastful according to his state of character and by being of such a kind); just as a liar is either one who rejoices in the falsehood itself, or one who aims at reputation or gain. Those, then, who boast for the sake of reputation pretend to have things for which praise or congratulation is given, while those who boast for gain pretend to have things of which their neighbors can make use and which they can pretend to have without being detected, such as being a wise prophet or a physician. For this reason, most people pretend to have such things and boast of them; for the aforementioned things are found in them. On the other hand, self-deprecating people, by speaking of less than they have, appear more refined in character; for they seem to speak not for the sake of gain, but because they avoid what is pompous; and they disclaim especially glorious things, as Socrates used to do. But those who understate small and obvious things are called mock-simpletons and are more contemptible; and sometimes this appears to be boastfulness, like the clothing of the Laconians; for both excess and extreme deficiency are boastful. But those who use self-deprecation moderately and about things that are not too obvious and at hand appear refined. The boastful person appears to be opposed to the truthful one; for he is worse.