Bacon's Essays/Of Simulation and Dissimulation

by Francis Bacon

VI

OF SIMULATION AND DISSIMULATION

Dissimulation is but a faint^[1] kind of Policy, or Wisdome; For it asketh^[2] a strong Wit^[3] and a strong Heart, to know when to tell Truth and to doe it. Therfore it is the weaker Sort of Politicks^[4] that are the great Dissemblers.

Tacitus saith; Livia sorted^[5] well with the Arts^[6] of her Husband and Dissimulation of her Sonne; Attributing Arts or Policy to Augustus, and Dissimulation to Tiberius. And againe, when Mucianus encourageth Vespasian to take Arms against Vitellius, he saith; We rise not against the Piercing hidgment of Augustus, nor the Extreme Caution or Closenesse of Tiberius. These Properties of Arts or Policy, and Dissimulation or Closenesse, are indeed Habits and Faculties severall^[7] and to be distinguished. For if a Man have that^[8] Penetration of Judgment as^[9] he can discerne what Things are to be laid open, and what to be secretted^[10], and what to be shewed at Halfe lights^[11], and to whom, and when, (which indeed are Arts of State, and Arts of Life, as Tacitus well calleth them,) to him a Habit of Dissimulation is a Hinderance and a Poorenesse^[12]. But if a Man cannot obtaine^[13] to that Judgment, then it is left to him, generally^[14], to be Close^[15], and a Dissembler. For where a Man cannot choose or vary in Particulars^[16], there it is good to take the safest and wariest Way in generall; Like the Going softly^[17] by one that cannot well see. Certainly the ablest Men that ever were, have had all an Opennesse and Francknesse of dealing, And a name of^[18] Certainty, and Veracity; But then they were like Horses well mannaged^[19], For they could tell passing^[20] well when to stop or turne: And at such times, when they thought the Case indeed required Dissimulation, if then they used it, it came to passe that the former Opinion, spred abroad, of their good Faith and Clearnesse^[21] of dealing, made them almost Invisible^[22].

There be three degrees of this Hiding and Vailing of a Man's Selfe. The first, Closenesse, Reservation, and Secrecy; when a Man leaveth himselfc without Observation, or without Hold to be taken, what he is. The second, Dissimulation, in the Negative; when a man lets fall Signes and Arguments that he is not that he is. And the third, Simulation, in the Affirmative; when a Man industriously^[23] and expressely faigns and pretends to be that he is not.

For the first of these, Secrecy; It is indeed, the Vertue of a Confessour; And assuredly, the Secret Man eareth many Confessions; For who will open himselfe to a Blab or a Babler? But if a Man be thought Secret, it inviteth Discoverie^[24]; As the more Close Aire sucketh in the more Open; And, as in Confession the Revealing is not for worldly use, but for the Ease of a Man's Heart, so Secret Men come to the Knowledge of Many Things in that kinde^[25]; while Men rather discharge^[26] their Mindes then impart their Mindes. In few words, Mysteries are due to Secrecy^[27]. Besides (to say Truth) Nakednesse is uncomely, as well in Minde as Body; and it addeth no small Reverence to Men's Manners and Actions, if they be not altogether Open. As for Talkers and Futile^[28]Persons, they are commonly Vaine^[29] and Credulous withall. For He that talketh what he knoweth, will also talke what he knoweth not. Therfore set it downe, That an Habit of Secrecy is both Politick and Morall. And in this Part^[30], it is good that a Man's Face give his Tongue leave to Speake. For the Discovery^[31] of a Man's Selfe, by the Tracts^[32] of his Countenance, is a great Weaknesse and Betraying, By how much it is many times^[33] more marked and beleeved then a Man's words.

For the Second, which is Dissimulation. It followeth many times upon Secrecy by a necessity; So that he that will be Secret must be a Dissembler in some degree. For Men are too cunning to suffer a Man to keepe an indifferent carriage betweene both^[34], and to be Secret, without Swaying the Ballance on either side. They will so beset a man with Questions, and draw him on, and picke it out of him, that, without an absurd^[35] Silence, he must shew an Inclination one way; Or if he doe not, they will gather as much by his Silence as by his Speech. As for Equivocations, or Oraculous^[36] Speeches, they cannot hold out long. So that no man can be secret, except he give himselfe a little Scope of Dissimulation; which is, as it were, but the Skirts or Traine of Secrecy.

But for the third Degree, which is Simulation and false Profession; That I hold more culpable and lesse politicke; except it be in great and rare Matters. And therefore a generall Custome of Simulation (which is this last Degree) is a Vice, rising either of^[37] a naturall Falsenesse or Fearefulnesse, Or of^[37] a Minde that hath some maine Faults; which because a man must needs disguise, it maketh him practise Simulation in other things, lest his Hand should be out of ure^[38].

The great Advantages of Simulation and Dissimulation are three. First, to lay asleepe Opposition, and to Surprize. For where a Man's Intentions are published, it is an Alarum, to call up all that are against them. The second is, to reserve to a Man's Selfe a faire Retreat; For if a man engage himselfe by a manifest Declaration, he must goe through, or take a Fall^[39]. The third is, the better to discover the Minde of another. For to him that opens himselfe, Men will hardly shew themselves adverse; but will (faire)^[40] let him goe on, and turne their Freedome of Speech to Freedome of thought. And therefore, it is a good shrewd Proverbe of the Spaniard, Tell a lye and finde a Troth. As if there were no way of Discovery, but by Simulation. There be also three Disadvantages, to set it even^[41]. The first, That Simulation and Dissimulation commonly carry with them a Shew of Fearfulnesse, which in any Businesse doth spoile the Feathers^[42] of round^[43] flying up to the Mark. The second, that it pusleth and perplexeth the Conceits^[44] of many that perhaps would otherwise co-operate with him, and makes a Man walke almost alone to his owne Ends. The third and greatest is, that it depriveth a Man of one of the most principall Instruments for Action, which is Trust and Beleefe. The best Composition and Temperature^[45] is, to have Opennesse in Fame and Opinion^[46]; Secrecy in no Habit; Dissimulation in seasonable use; And a Power to faigne, if there be no Remedy.

 

1. feeble
2. requires
3. understanding
4. politicians
5. agreed
6. diplomacy
7. different
8. such
9. that
10. kept secret
11. by twilight
12. drawback
13. attain
14. as a general rule
15. reserved
16. adapt his conduct to particular cases
17. slowly
18. reputation for
19. broken in
20. exceedingly
21. openness
22. incapable of detection
23. purposely
24. encourage disclosures
25. in the same fashion
26. disburden
27. In short, other people's secrets may be claimed as his due by the man who can keep a secret
28. chattering
29. silly
30. in this connexion
31. disclosure
32. traits
33. inasmuch as it is often
34. to carry himself impartially between openness and dissimulation
35. unreasonable
36. ambiguous
37. from
38. practice
39. suffer defeat
40. simply
41. counterbalance
42. sc. of the arrow
43. direct
44. thoughts
45. combination and temperament
46. a reputation for frankness