“No taste for drawing!” replied Elinor, “why should you think so? He does not draw himself, indeed, but he has great pleasure in seeing the performances of other people, and I assure you he is by no means deficient in natural taste, though he has not had opportunities of improving it. Had he ever been in the way of learning, I think he would have drawn very well. He distrusts his own judgment in such matters so much, that he is always unwilling to give his opinion on any picture; but he has an innate propriety and simplicity of taste, which in general direct him perfectly right.”
Elinor’s retort to her sister is pure poetry. It’s concise and effective and so true that it causes her sister to take a second to stop and reflect before continuing to speak. Although they are all polite, they are all also so cunning in the usage of their vocabulary. It seems EVERY conversation is an opportunity to reflect on one’s own faults. It is a process of constant self reflection and self improvement that alters and changes me as the reader as well.
