2254. The world of spirits is like people are in their thoughts
What a person in the world is like inwardly cannot be known, because outwardly, by facial expression, gesture, and speech, they pretend sincerity, uprightness, devoutness, doing so from a variety of motives - because of the law, good manners, personal profit, desire for honors. As a result they seldom appear as they are inwardly in their thoughts, sometimes hardly to their friends, even their closest friends. They cultivate friendships for the sake of profit (even with those they would hatefully persecute) and such reasons.
2254. THAT THE WORLD OF SPIRITS IS LIKE WHAT MEN ARE IN THEIR THOUGHTS.
Man cannot be known in the world as to what is his quality inwardly, because in his exteriors, face, gesture, and speech, he feigns sincerity, probity, piety, from various reasons, on account of the law, decorum, his own gain, cupidity of honor, so that it rarely appears what is his quality inwardly in his thoughts, even to friends, yea, occasionally to his warmest friends [amicissimis]. He cultivates friendships for the sake of gain, although he might hate [odio persequeretur] [such friends] and the like.
2254. Quod mundus spirituum sit sicut homines in suis cogitationibus
Homo in mundo non potest cognosci, qualis intus, quia in exterioribus, facie, gestu, loquela simulat honestum, probum, pium, ex variis causis, propter legem, decorum, propter sui lucrum, cupiditatem honoris, ita raro apparet qualis est intus in suis cogitationibus, vix amicis quandoque, et amicissimis, amicitias colit lucri causa, tametsi odio [eas] persequeretur, et similiter 1
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Footnotes:
1. sic manuscript