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Objection 1: It seems that boasting is not opposed to the virtue of
truth. For lying is opposed to truth. But it is possible to boast
even without lying, as when a man makes a show of his own excellence.
Thus it is written (Esther 1:3,4) that Assuerus "made a great
feast . . . that he might show the riches of the glory" and "of his
kingdom, and the greatness and boasting of his power." Therefore
boasting is not opposed to the virtue of truth.
Objection 2: Further, boasting is reckoned by Gregory (Moral.
xxiii, 4) to be one of the four species of pride, "when," to
wit, "a man boasts of having what he has not." Hence it is written
(Jer. 48:29,30): "We have heard the pride of Moab, he
is exceeding proud: his haughtiness, and his arrogancy, and his
pride, and the loftiness of his heart. I know, saith the Lord, his
boasting, and that the strength thereof is not according to it."
Moreover, Gregory says (Moral. xxxi, 7) that boasting arises
from vainglory. Now pride and vainglory are opposed to the virtue of
humility. Therefore boasting is opposed, not to truth, but to
humility.
Objection 3: Further, boasting seems to be occasioned by riches;
wherefore it is written (Wis. 5:8): "What hath pride profited
us? or what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us?" Now
excess of riches seems to belong to the sin of covetousness, which is
opposed to justice or liberality. Therefore boasting is not opposed to
truth.
On the contrary, The Philosopher says (Ethic. ii, 7; iv,
7), that boasting is opposed to truth.
I answer that, "Jactantia" [boasting] seems properly to denote
the uplifting of self by words: since if a man wishes to throw
[jactare] a thing far away, he lifts it up high. And to uplift
oneself, properly speaking, is to talk of oneself above oneself [Or
'tall-talking' as we should say in English]. This happens in two
ways. For sometimes a man speaks of himself, not above what he is in
himself, but above that which he is esteemed by men to be: and this
the Apostle declines to do when he says (2 Cor. 12:6): "I
forbear lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in
me, or anything he heareth of me." In another way a man uplifts
himself in words, by speaking of himself above that which he is in
reality. And since we should judge of things as they are in
themselves, rather than as others deem them to be, it follows that
boasting denotes more properly the uplifting of self above what one is
in oneself, than the uplifting of self above what others think of one:
although in either case it may be called boasting. Hence boasting
properly so called is opposed to truth by way of excess.
Reply to Objection 1: This argument takes boasting as exceeding
men's opinion.
Reply to Objection 2: The sin of boasting may be considered in two
ways. First, with regard to the species of the act, and thus it is
opposed to truth; as stated (in the body of the article and Question
110, Article 2). Secondly, with regard to its cause, from
which more frequently though not always it arises: and thus it proceeds
from pride as its inwardly moving and impelling cause. For when a man
is uplifted inwardly by arrogance, it often results that outwardly he
boasts of great things about himself; though sometimes a man takes to
boasting, not from arrogance, but from some kind of vanity, and
delights therein, because he is a boaster by habit. Hence arrogance,
which is an uplifting of self above oneself, is a kind of pride; yet
it is not the same as boasting, but is very often its cause. For this
reason Gregory reckons boasting among the species of pride.
Moreover, the boaster frequently aims at obtaining glory through his
boasting, and so, according to Gregory, it arises from vainglory
considered as its end.
Reply to Objection 3: Wealth also causes boasting, in two ways.
First, as an occasional cause, inasmuch as a man prides himself on
his riches. Hence (Prov. 8:18) "riches" are significantly
described as "proud". Secondly, as being the end of boasting,
since according to Ethic. iv, 7, some boast, not only for the sake
of glory, but also for the sake of gain. Such people invent stories
about themselves, so as to make profit thereby; for instance, they
pretend to be skilled in medicine, wisdom, or divination.
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