Slow Havamal: 64

[kylec]

The 64th verse says that the wise should use their abilities in moderation. That way, when among the company of bold men, he will find that no one is braver than all the others.

Crawford notes that the second part of this verse perplexes scholars. He renders it as literally as possible to offer the reader the chance to decide, but offers the explanation that the reason the wise man should moderate his ability is that it may be perceived as showing off, inciting a dangerous game of one-upmanship. I’ll explore that possibility and see what else crops up.

There are a wide range of abilities, and I don’t think this verse confines them to abilities of the wise. Rather, one who happens to have any ability, and also wisdom, would avoid showing off. Certain abilities are beneficial to others, and used in the service of others, would enrich all. Things like construction skill, language translation, and cooking good food would hardly start a riot. Other skills may bring more fame to their practitioner: acrobatics, chugging beer, putting out a cigarette with a .22 caliber bullet. This latter category includes a great many things that I think could benefit others at least as a form of entertainment. It’s very hard to think of a common skill that holds no value for anyone except the performer. Does armed robbery qualify as a talent?

So the skills we must moderate are those most often put to use to raise our profiles. Sometimes a talent is so rare in a community that no one can feel threatened at all. If you’re the only shipwright, build the best ships you can for everyone, and they’ll still thank you for it. Conversely, your handstands may be pretty cool, but people can also tire of them, and getting into a handstand throwdown at a drinking affair is unlikely to enrich others unless they just delight in calamity or a good fight.

The key factor in determining whether and how much to moderate displaying your skills is who they serve. When a skill, even a base entertainment, is exercised with the enrichment of others in mind, it’s hard to imagine how that could ruffle any feathers. But people sense our motives, even when we don’t. If the same thing is done in a context where it helps little but brings notoriety to the performer, especially at the expense of a competitor, drama ensues. It would do us well to ask the question, “Who does it serve if I do my thing right now, in this place, among these people?” Of course it never hurts your reputation to do good work, but that should be a side effect. If what incited the impulse to show your ability was someone doing the same kind of thing to a lesser degree of mastery, it might be best to clap politely.

We may be the best, but who needs to know it right this minute? Even when it isn’t intended as such, a display can easily be taken as one-upmanship. This most often turns toxic in the display of strength and wisdom. It’s easy to see how boasting of feats of arms might invite someone else to test your claim. Equally, few people enjoy feeling stupid. We might have to correct errors at times, but far less often than we think. Is it really harmful to let someone be wrong in the vast majority of casual conversations? The half-wise man lets no mistake escape. The wise one wonders how much it matters. Put another way, skill pairs well with humility, and the latter should constrain the exercise of the former, not the other way around.