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If one wishes to praise at all, it is a delicate and at the same time a noble self-control, to praise only where one does not agree⁠—otherwise in fact one would praise oneself, which is contrary to good taste:⁠—a self-control, to be sure, which offers excellent opportunity and provocation to constant misunderstanding . To be able to allow oneself this veritable luxury of taste and morality, one must not live among intellectual imbeciles, but rather among men whose misunderstandings and mistakes amuse by their refinement⁠—or one will have to pay dearly for it!⁠—“He praises me, therefore he acknowledges me to be right”⁠—this asinine method of inference spoils half of the life of us recluses, for it brings the asses into our neighbourhood and friendship.