The Art of Worldy Wisdom (41)

Never Exaggerate. It is an important object of attention not to talk in superlatives, so as neither to offend against truth nor to give a mean idea of one’s understanding. Exaggeration is a prodigality of the judgment which shows the narrowness of one’s knowledge or taste. Praise arouses lively curiosity, begets desire, and if afterwards the value does not correspond to the price—as generally happens—expectation revolts against the deception, and revenges itself by cheapening both the thing recommended and the person recommending. A prudent person goes more cautiously to work, and prefers to err by understatement than by overstatement. Extraordinary things are rare, therefore moderate ordinary valuation. Exaggeration is a branch of lying, and you lose by it the credit of good taste, which is much, and of good sense, which is more.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />