“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci. Adopted by Steve Jobs.
A Sacred Image was being carried to the temple mounted on an Ass, followed by a great procession.
As the Ass walked along, he saw that people bowed their heads and fell on their knees. Seeing this, the Ass thought the honor was to him.
He became so vain and full of himself that he stopped to bray.
But, seeing this, the driver began to beat him unmercifully with a stick. “Go along with you!” he cried. “Silly Ass, the honor is not meant for you, but for the image!”
Moral of the Story: Undeserved honor or pride leads to embarrassment. Those who are validation-starved are tempted to invent flattery of self.
Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Why We Loved It: This fable reminds us of the benefits of humility and the risks of vanity, particularly deluded vanity. Thus the adage, “Loqui est revelare.” (“To speak is to reveal.”)
We are also reminded of a similar statement by Jesus, when he said that, if you take the first seat, you are embarrassed when asked to move to the back, but, if you take the last seat, you are rewarded when asked to move to the front. [1] And, indeed, the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln; to wit: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”
Dignity is self-fulfilled and self-validated. Therefore, it does not require external validation, and it does not gloat. Where there is a vacuum of confidence by insecurity, there is a need that draws in anything to fill that void, and much of what is drawn inside is not good. [2]
Therefore, we might find in this a general rule of speaking:
Purpose first, then words.
Accordingly, we might distinguish the “why?” of speech, which finds grounding in rationale. For example, if the “why?” of the speech is to sell a product, then the self-laudation might very well be appropriate, because that is part of the marketing structure. But the “why?” with the same self-laudation from vanity might very well not be appropriate, since it serves only the vice of vanity. This distinction is by corollary to “feign is game.” [3] Sometimes expressed as “Fake it ’til you make it.” Therefore, we should not be so quick to judge an expression, because, sometimes, the product being sold and the human being are entwined, if not the same thing. Sometimes the man is the message, and the message is the man. [5, 6] Only the person really knows “the why?” But it is this “why” that cushions the backlash ex post facto: for purpose gives the reason, and vanity serves no excuse.
Aesop often teaches of the comeuppance of vanity, [7] and, here, he expressly states that vanity was the cause or purpose of the Ass’s expressive gloating. Unlike the vanity of his little Fly with the Axle [8], here there is a social comeuppance.
Here the Ass is double the fool: being vain is one times the fool, and expressing it is two times the fool.
And we should take critical notice Aesop’s tool of causation: a “sacred image,” which implies the worst of all vanities: the arrogance of self to presume sacred reverence by others, such as to think of self as a deity.
Nay, the Ass was not a god, but only an Ass.
[1] The ONE LinkedIn Reference Set Index [GRZ183] [LinkedIn #GRZ_183] ONE: 1809 [T20:2] (“Relative Appreciation”); ONE: 2097 [L14:7] (“Exaltation“)
[2] On Empathy: To Give Empathy Is a Blessing; To Need Empathy Is a Curse [GRZ106] [LinkedIn #GRZ_106]
[3] VI. Simulation and Dissimulation; Or, The Art of the Lie. – Back to Basics Abridgement Series [GRZ190] [LinkedIn #GRZ_190]
[4] Flattery – No. 54. The Fox and the Crow – The Essential Aesop™- Back to Basics Abridgment Series [GRZ98_54] [LinkedIn #GRZ_98_54]
[5] Donald Trump; Or, The Mean Insult v. The Tactical Insult [GRZ108] [LinkedIn #GRZ_108]
[6] The Distinguished Napoleon – The Business of Aesop™ No. 2 – The Frog and the Ox [GRZ81] [LinkedIn #GRZ_81]
[7] Flattery – No. 54. The Fox and the Crow – The Essential Aesop™- Back to Basics Abridgment Series [GRZ98_54] [LinkedIn #GRZ_98_54]
[8] The Delusion of Self-Importance – No. 112. The Fly on the Axle – The Essential Aesop™ – Back to Basics Abridgment Series [GRZ98_112] [LinkedIn #GRZ_98_112]
“Loqui est revelare.” (“To speak is to reveal.”); “Nullius frugis primae substantiae substantia intentos facit vacuum.” (“Lack of substance creates a vacuum that draws first upon that which lacks substance.”); “Primum propositum, deinde loqui.” (“Purpose first, then words.”); “Dignitas per se impletur et se convalescit.” (“Dignity is self-fulfilled and self-validated.”); “Ludus est simulare.” (“Game is feign.”); “Propositum dat rationem, et vanitas non est excusatio.” (“Purpose gives reason, and vanity is no excuse.”) ~ grz
The Devil’s Advocate [MUID48X] – Vanity
Family Guy [MUID191X] – Foolish Vanity – The Child of Desire for Validation
ChatGPT Review
Certainly — here is a structured breakdown of Gregg Zegarelli’s commentary on Aesop’s Fable No. 25: The Ass and the Sacred Image, titled “Vanity and Self-Delusion”, drawing out its philosophical, pedagogical, and thematic dimensions:
🔍 Deep Dive Analysis
1. Fable Pedagogy: Narrative Mechanics
- Plot: A sacred image is being honored in procession, carried by an Ass. Misunderstanding the gestures of reverence directed at the image, the Ass believes the honor is for him and stops to bray in self-congratulation.
- Rebuke: The driver strikes the Ass and clarifies the honor was never his.
- Moral: “Undeserved honor or pride leads to embarrassment. Those who are validation-starved are tempted to invent flattery of self.”
Zegarelli extracts this not just as a critique of vanity, but of projected delusion—the error of equating borrowed reverence with personal greatness.
2. Core Philosophical and Psychological Lessons
🔹 Vanity as a Response to Insecurity
- The Ass’s behavior reflects a deeper human tendency: those lacking inner confidence are tempted to misappropriate flattery or attention. This is more than arrogance—it is a psychological defense mechanism against the vacuum of self-doubt.
🔹 Purpose First, Then Words
- One of Zegarelli’s chief axioms appears here: “Primum propositum, deinde loqui.” (“Purpose first, then words.”)
- Words that stem from vanity differ from words that stem from purposeful expression, such as persuasion, leadership, or even marketing.
🔹 Double the Fool
- The Ass is “twice the fool”:
- For wrongly attributing sacred honor to himself (internal delusion)
- For expressing it publicly with a bray (external folly)
🔹 Speech as Revelation
- Echoing “Loqui est revelare”—to speak is to reveal—Zegarelli warns that speech discloses one’s internal state, especially to the discerning observer. Vanity speaks volumes where silence might preserve dignity.
🧠 Integrated Philosophical Framework
| Concept | Source | Teaching |
|---|---|---|
| Vanity is rooted in insecurity | Zegarelli, GRZ106 | When self-worth is absent, we borrow others’ reverence or invent it |
| Speech reveals internal character | Latin Maxim; Jesus; Lincoln | To speak without thought exposes weakness |
| Purpose-first communication | Zegarelli, GRZ190 | Intent shapes meaning; flattery for marketing ≠ flattery for ego |
| Self-worth is self-contained | Latin Maxim; Zegarelli’s ethos | “Dignitas per se impletur et se convalescit”—Dignity is self-validated |
| Simulation vs. Authenticity | GRZ190: “Feign is game” | “Fake it till you make it” depends on intent and congruence |
🔗 Contextual Integration Across Zegarelli’s Work
This article threads into several recurring themes:
● The Business of Vanity (and Flattery)
- Related fables like #54 – The Fox and the Crow and #112 – The Fly on the Axle explore ego inflation, flattery seduction, and overestimation of one’s role.
● Empathy as Danger
- Cited article #106 – On Empathy explains how needing external validation opens the door to flattery, manipulation, or self-delusion.
● Causation Through Symbolism
- The use of the sacred image by Aesop, and highlighted by Zegarelli, symbolizes the ultimate false attribution of divinity or self-righteousness—the worst kind of pride: misplaced moral authority.
🏁 Conclusion
Zegarelli’s analysis of The Ass and the Sacred Image operates as a layered parable on:
- The dangers of mistaking proximate attention for personal merit
- The psychological weakness of external validation dependency
- The moral hazard of speaking before knowing the “why” of your words
Ultimately, it is a stern lesson in humility, intentional speech, and self-validation, perfectly aligned with his broader ethos: Dignity is cultivated within and does not bray for applause.
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You said: AIS?
ChatGPT:
Here are the AIS (Aesop Intelligence System) Category alignments for Gregg Zegarelli’s “Vanity and Self-Delusion – No. 25 – The Ass and the Sacred Image” (GRZ98_25):
| # | Category | Alignment | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Character & Identity | Yes (core) | The Ass’s delusion is a crisis of self-definition — mistaking borrowed honor for inherent worth. Zegarelli’s focus on dignitas per se impletur (self-fulfilled dignity) makes this fable a diagnostic test of authentic identity versus reflected vanity. |
| 2 | Civic & Leadership Discernment | Partial | Though not civic in structure, it applies directly to leadership psychology: those who equate position with reverence confuse office with virtue. A warning against public figures who think praise belongs to them rather than the symbol they carry. |
| 3 | Cognitive Awareness & Bias | Yes | The fable centers on attribution bias — misreading others’ actions as personal validation. The Ass commits the classic interpretive fallacy: assuming correlation (being near reverence) equals causation (being revered). |
| 4 | Moral & Ethical Reasoning | Yes | The ethical inversion is clear: unearned pride merits correction. Zegarelli’s driver enforces justice by humiliation — the moral rebalancing that restores order between symbol and self. |
| 5 | Pattern Recognition & Predictive Thinking | Partial | Vanity precedes exposure; speech precedes shame. Recognizing this recurring sequence is part of Aesop’s practical foresight — a predictable moral pattern across fables of pride and comeuppance. |
| 6 | Rhetoric, Persuasion & Disinformation | Yes (core) | “Loqui est revelare” — speech reveals the self. The Ass’s bray functions as involuntary self-advertisement, transforming internal delusion into public folly. Zegarelli uses this to teach the ethics of expression: purpose before words. |
| 7 | Virtue Philosophy & Emotional Discipline | Yes (core) | Vanity is the failure of self-control. Humility, silence, and intention mark the disciplined mind; impulsive speech betrays immaturity. Zegarelli’s maxim “Purpose first, then words” is a virtue-ethics rule of emotional governance. |
| 8 | Wisdom vs. Intelligence | Yes | Intelligence may bring attention; wisdom resists its intoxication. The Ass’s ignorance is not mental deficiency but moral blindness — knowing the procession yet not understanding its meaning. |
🔹 Primary AIS Anchors
#1 (Character & Identity), #6 (Rhetoric & Disinformation), and #7 (Virtue & Emotional Discipline) form the pedagogical core.
Supporting layers include #3 (Cognitive Awareness) and #8 (Wisdom vs. Intelligence).
🧩 Integrative Summary
Zegarelli’s “Vanity and Self-Delusion” teaches that ego is a parasite of borrowed light — the Ass mistakes reflected reverence for his own radiance.
The corrective lesson is triple:
- Identity: Dignity arises from substance, not spotlight.
- Speech: Words without purpose expose vanity.
- Discipline: True confidence requires no audience.
“Purpose gives reason, and vanity is no excuse.” — GRZ
Take-away:
In the Zegarellian framework, this fable is a precision instrument for diagnosing performative ego—the human tendency to confuse validation with value.
20251004.5
© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/vanity-self-delusion-25-lion-ass-essential-aesop-zegarelli-esq-
Related Articles:
- [98_7] Bearing Insults – No. 7. The Bear and the Bees – The Essential Aesop™ – Back to Basics Abridgment Series [GRZ98_7] [LinkedIn #GRZ_98_7]
GRZ98_25.20250506 GRZUID98_25