Chapter 150
The Art of Strategic Romance
Borís had not succeeded in making a wealthy match in Petersburg, so with the same object in view he came to Moscow. There he wavered between the two richest heiresses, Julie and Princess Mary. Though Princess Mary despite her plainness seemed to him more attractive than Julie, he, without knowing why, felt awkward about paying court to her. When they had last met on the old prince’s name day, she had answered at random all his attempts to talk sentimentally, evidently not listening to what he was saying. Julie on the contrary accepted his attentions readily, though in a manner…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Performance Audit
List three different situations in your life where you perform a version of yourself that isn't quite authentic. For each one, identify what you're trying to get, what you're afraid of losing, and how much of your real self you're trading away. Then rate each performance: survival necessity, strategic choice, or soul-selling.
Consider:
- •Some performance is normal and necessary for functioning in society
- •The danger comes when you lose track of who you really are underneath the performance
- •Economic pressure can make people compromise their authenticity in ways they later regret
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you performed a version of yourself to get something you wanted. Did you get it? How did it feel afterward? What would you do differently now?
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