SECT.  VI LIMITATIONS OF THIS SYSTEM

But before we proceed farther in this subject, and examine particularly all the causes of pride and humility, it will be proper to make some limitations to the general system, that all agreeable objects, related to ourselves, by an association of ideas and of impressions, produce pride, and disagreeable ones, humility:  And these limitations are derived from the very nature of the subject.

I. Suppose an agreeable object to acquire a relation to self, the first passion, that appears on this occasion, is joy; and this passion discovers itself upon a slighter relation than pride and vain-glory.  We may feel joy upon being present at a feast, where our senses are regard with delicacies of every kind:  But it is only the master of the feast, who, beside the same joy, has the additional passion of self-applause and vanity.  It is true, men sometimes boast of a great entertainment, at which they have only been present; and by so small a relation convert their pleasure into pride:  But however, this must in general be owned, that joy arises from a more inconsiderable relation than vanity, and that many things, which are too foreign to produce pride, are yet able to give us a delight and pleasure, The reason of the difference may be explained thus.  A relation is requisite to joy, in order to approach the object to us, and make it give us any satisfaction.  But beside this, which is common to both passions, it is requisite to pride, in order to produce a transition from one passion to another, and convert the falsification into vanity.  As it has a double task to perform, it must be endowed with double force and energy.  To which we may add, that where agreeable objects bear not a very close relation to ourselves, they commonly do to some other person; and this latter relation not only excels, but even diminishes, and sometimes destroys the former, as we shall see afterwards. [Part II.  Sec. 4.]

Here then is the first limitation, we must make to our general position, that every thing related to us, which produces pleasure or pain, produces likewise pride or humility.  There is not only a relation required, but a close one, and a closer than is required to joy.

II.  The second limitation is, that the agreeable or disagreeable object be not only closely related, but also peculiar to ourselves, or at least common to us with a few persons.  It is a quality observable in human nature, and which we shall endeavour to explain afterwards, that every thing, which is often presented. and to which we have been long accustomed, loses its value in our eyes, and is in a little time despised and neglected.  We likewise judge of objects more from comparison than from their real and intrinsic merit; and where we cannot by some contrast enhance