Or, to state his character as it stood in the scale of public opinion, when his friends and critics were in tantrums, he was considered rather a bad man; when they were pleased, he was rather a good man; when they were neither, he was a man whose moral colour was a kind of pepper-and-salt mixture.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Public opinion of a man fluctuates wildly depending on the current mood of friends and critics.
- In plain terms
- People think he is bad when angry, good when happy, and mixed otherwise.
- What can you take from it?
- Public reputation is unstable and mood-dependent.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is reputation truth?
- How much should opinion shape identity?
Another view
It assumes character is constant despite public perception shifts.
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