Throughout the centuries, man has considered himself beautiful. I rather suppose that man only believes in his own beauty out of pride; that he is not really beautiful and he suspects this himself; for why does he look on the face of his fellow-man with such scorn?

Summary

This quote suggests that the belief in one's own beauty stems from pride and not actual beauty. The speaker argues that deep down, humans suspect their lack of true beauty, as evidenced by their tendency to judge others harshly based on their appearance. By questioning the contemptuous gaze humans often cast upon each other, the quote highlights the inherent self-doubt behind the belief in personal beauty, implying that it may be rooted in insecurity rather than genuine attractiveness.

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