At all events he would be no candid or sincere or straightforward or upright or honest man, but rather one who is shifty, sly, artful, shrewd, underhand, cunning, one grown old in fraud and subtlety.
Cicero vividly describes the character traits of a person who engages in concealment and deceit, contrasting them with virtues like candor and honesty.
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From this attitude come greatness of soul and a sense of superiority to worldly conditions.
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