Chapter 81
When Fake It Till You Make It Backfires
NOT TO COUNTERFEIT BEING SICK There is an epigram in Martial, and one of the very good ones--for he has of all sorts--where he pleasantly tells the story of Caelius, who, to avoid making his court to some great men of Rome, to wait their rising, and to attend them abroad, pretended to have the gout; and the better to colour this anointed his legs, and had them lapped up in a great many swathings, and perfectly counterfeited both the gesture and countenance of a gouty person; till in the end, Fortune did him the kindness to make him one…
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Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Desiit fingere Caelius podagram."
Context: Gout becomes real
Central warning.
In Today's Words:
Martial says Caelius has ceased to feign the gout and has got it, after binding his legs to avoid courtiers. The mask stuck. When you play sick or helpless to escape obligation, treat the act as training your body and reputation for a condition you may not control later.
"totally lost the sight of it indeed, and that it was absolutely gone."
Context: Counterfeit eye
Body answers role.
In Today's Words:
Montaigne tells of a man who counterfeited one eye with plaster to hide from proscription and found he had totally lost the sight when he removed it. Disuse costs. If you keep a capacity unused to maintain a cover story, do not assume you can restore it on demand.
"fortune, I know not how, sometimes seems to delight in taking us at our word"
Context: Children's feigning
Second half.
In Today's Words:
Montaigne says fortune sometimes seems to delight in taking us at our word when children counterfeit lameness or mothers let the habit form in tender bodies. Jokes harden. Do not let a child, or yourself, practice a defect for fun; repetition is how temporary stories become permanent limits.
"no one knows himself to be avaricious or grasping; and, again, the blind call for a guide, while we stray of our own accord. I am not ambitious, we say; but a man cannot live otherwise at Rome; I am not wasteful, but the city requires a great outlay; ‘tis not my fault if I am choleric--if I have not yet established any certain course of life: ‘tis the fault of youth. Let us not seek our disease out of ourselves; ‘tis in us, and planted in our bowels; and the mere fact that we do not perceive ourselves to be sick, renders us more hard to be cured"
Context: Harpaste parable
Close.
In Today's Words:
Seneca, quoted by Montaigne, says no one knows himself avaricious or grasping, and not perceiving our sickness renders us harder to cure. Blindness to fault. List the traits you excuse as circumstance; those are usually the ones philosophy must reach first Ask what evidence you have beyond the first impulse..
Thematic Threads
Self-Deception
In This Chapter
Montaigne shows how we blind ourselves to our own faults while clearly seeing others' problems
Development
Builds on earlier themes of self-knowledge, showing the active ways we avoid truth
In Your Life:
You might refuse to see your own anger while criticizing others for losing their temper
Identity
In This Chapter
Characters literally become the false identities they've adopted through prolonged pretense
Development
Deepens earlier exploration of authentic self by showing how performance shapes identity
In Your Life:
The persona you put on at work might be slowly becoming your real personality
Physical Reality
In This Chapter
Bodies respond to mental states and behaviors, making fake ailments become real ones
Development
Introduced here as a new dimension of mind-body connection
In Your Life:
Stress you pretend not to have might manifest as actual physical symptoms
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
People fake conditions to meet social demands or escape obligations
Development
Continues theme of how social pressure shapes behavior, now showing long-term consequences
In Your Life:
You might exaggerate being busy to avoid commitments you don't want
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Montaigne's honest self-examination about his walking stick shows awareness of this pattern
Development
Reinforces ongoing theme of brutal self-honesty as path to wisdom
In Your Life:
Real growth requires admitting what you're actually doing versus what you claim to be doing
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
This is not a test. Five prompts guide you through the chapter, from how it opens to how it closes, so you notice context and rhythm rather than facts to memorize. Sit with each question in your own words. When you see "One way to read it," treat it as a starting point, not the only answer.
- 1
What happens to Caelius and the man with the eye patch when they fake their conditions?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
Both men develop real versions of what they pretended to have. Caelius gets actual gout after faking it, and the man loses sight in his covered eye.
- 2
Why does Montaigne think pretending to be sick can make you actually sick?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
He suggests our bodies respond to prolonged acting. Unused muscles weaken, covered eyes lose sight, and our physical habits shape our reality over time.
- 3
Where do you see people becoming what they pretend to be in today's world?
application • mediumOne way to read it
Social media personas often become real identities. People who fake confidence at work may develop it, or those who act cynical online become genuinely bitter.
- 4
How would you apply Seneca's blind fool story to help someone recognize their own flaws?
application • deepOne way to read it
Ask gentle questions that reveal patterns rather than making accusations. Help them see how their excuses mirror the fool's claim that the house is just dark.
- 5
What does this essay suggest about the relationship between self-deception and self-knowledge?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
We become trapped by our own performances, unable to distinguish between what we are and what we pretend to be. True healing requires honest self-examination.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Performance Patterns
List three roles or behaviors you 'perform' regularly—at work, at home, or socially. For each one, identify whether this performance is moving you toward who you want to become or away from it. Consider both positive performances (acting confident when you're not) and negative ones (playing helpless to avoid responsibility).
Consider:
- •Notice which performances feel automatic versus deliberate
- •Consider how others respond to your performances and reinforce them
- •Think about which masks might be becoming your actual face
Journaling Prompt
Write about one performance you've been maintaining that might be shaping you in ways you don't want. What would happen if you stopped this performance tomorrow?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 82: The Power of Thumbs
After counterfeit sickness becomes real, Montaigne turns to a smaller limb with outsized power. Barbarian kings will bind thumbs in blood oaths, Roman crowds will turn them to kill gladiators, and maimed thumbs will excuse men from war.
