The author observes that while a person may appear impressive in a role that is too easy for them, their inadequacies are painfully obvious when they are promoted beyond their abilities.
A prescription suggesting that the merit of a great man's reputation should be judged by the integrity of the methods he used to achieve it.
The author observes that sudden, unearned success often results in incompetence, as the individual lacks the gradual preparation necessary to inhabit a high office with dignity.
The author observes a psychological progression where personal ambition eventually replaces romantic love, but notes that this transition is rarely reversible.
The author suggests that magnanimity is a strategic form of pride that dismisses petty interests in order to secure total dominance.
