Furthermore, our attraction to meekness may mask some rather cowardly resentments against self-assertion. We might not so much admire timidity as fear giving confidence a try. It was this species of self-protective deception that particularly fascinated the philosopher Nietzsche. He thought it a typical error of many Christians, who might pride themselves on their ‘forgiveness’ while simply trying to excuse their ‘inability to take revenge’. We should take care not to dress up our base deficiencies as godly virtues.
