But that kind of merriment does not last long. Observe such men, and you will note that within a short space of time they laugh to excess and rage to excess.
When a Marcellinus picks out the worst instance while ignoring all the rest, he is acting on bad faith. I do not mean that he necessarily intends any malice, since his reactions are fueled by confusion, but rather that he deliberately misrepresents in order to give himself a perceived advantage over those he considers to be his opponents.
What he fails to realize is that he doesn’t need to look big in order to be good, and that conflicts of personality really have no place in the order of Nature. All is lost as soon as a man no longer thinks it essential to be sincere.
Seneca understandably struggles with this sort of tomfoolery. It requires great endurance, but it is quite possible to bear mockery, if only we don’t take ourselves too seriously. It demands tremendous composure, but it is quite possible to combat pessimism, if only we are willing to consistently model the inner peace that flows from a positive attitude. Yet what response can be offered to the man who knows he can push our buttons by putting on an act?
While it may not immediately reform Marcellinus, Seneca knows that the key is in asking him to reflect on his own sense of self, to go all the way back to establishing his merits without the need to be questionably illustrious. Behind every grandstander is a worried soul, just as behind every bully is a child who doesn’t feel loved. Without any derision, remind him how the way out is to learn to be himself, not to put on a spectacle he believes other expect.
If he is reminded of this with all honesty and compassion, it strengthens his own power to transform this realization into a whole new set of habits for living.
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