Insincerity is difficult to pull off: it requires a lot of artfulness and attention. (See, e.g. David Foster Wallace’s description of someone “giving me the exact kind of smile of someone who, on Christmas morning, has just unwrapped an expensive present he already owns.”). Why not devote that energy to something else instead?

Complementary virtues¶

• authenticity
• earnestness
• honesty
• straightforwardness

Contrasting vices¶

• insincerity
• irony

Virtues possibly in tension¶

• tact

How to acquire or strengthen it¶

TBD

Notes and links¶

• Notes on Sincerity and such (David, LessWrong)
• See Aristotle on straightforwardness — he pairs it with amiability, which involves in part sincerely appreciating the strong points of those around us.

Mentioned elsewhere¶

• One of Ben Franklin’s virtues

Inspirational quotes¶

• “Use no hurtful deceit: think innocently and justly: and, if you speak, speak accordingly.” ―Benjamin Franklin
• “Integrity is an ambiguous concept, so is sincerity. What is so called can be a form of pride or self-assertion.” —Iris Murdoch Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals p. 325