There are certain writers you encounter who are so thoroughly themselves, so thoroughly *not pretending to be anybody else*–because, perhaps, they’ve lived so strenuous and event-filled a life already such as fine writing can little add to or subtract from–that their prose feels preternatural; their writing says to the world: this is who I was, and frankly I don’t have to pretend to be anybody else. One I’ve mentioned before is John Selden. Another is George Washington. A third, whose History of My Life I’ve been thoroughly enjoying over the past 24 hours, is Giacomo Casanova. I swear, this is a guy who would be famous in any era; his self-possession is limitless; he overawes you with his learning, wins you over with hilarious asides; every character trait that modern capitalism values, Casanova has in spades.

Here he is describing his attitude toward stupid people (who he distinguishes from fools):

We avenge intelligence when we deceive a fool, and the victory is worth the effort, for a fool is encased in armor and we do not know where to attack him. In short, deceiving a fool is an exploit worthy of an intelligent man. What has infused my very blood with an unconquerable hatred of the whole tribe of fools from the day of my birth is that I become a fool myself whenever I am in their company. They are, however, to be distinguished from the class of men whom we term stupid, for since the stupidity of the latter is due only to their lack of education, I rather like them. I have found some of them who were very decent and whose stupidity was almost a kind of wit.[note]”I would not be ware my own wit till I break my shins against it,” as Shakespeare’s Touchstone says.[/note] They are like eyes which, but for a cataract, would be extremely beautiful.

And here he finds the bright side of religious quackery:

People think it surprising that there are pious scoundrels who commend themselves to their saints and who thank them after some successful piece of knavery. They are mistaken; it is a state of mind which cannot but be good, for it combats atheism.