To brag of many GOOD MORROWS

Insights

Boasting of Empty Honors

The proverb metaphorically describes the act of promoting oneself based on superficial, insubstantial, or fleeting evidence of importance. The 'good morrows' symbolize any form of hollow validation that lacks real substance or value.

Superficiality over Substance

It illustrates the folly of confusing popularity with genuine power or achievement. The greetings are numerous but ultimately worthless, a form of 'smoke' that cannot be traded for anything of tangible value.

Deceptive Self-Promotion

The act of bragging about such trivial social encounters points to a deceptive attempt to inflate one's own status. It is a way of 'selling smoke' by presenting worthless social currency as if it were gold.

Classical Allusion to Deception

The cross-reference to "To sell smoke" (*Fumos vendere* in Latin) is critical. This classical expression, used by Roman poet Martial, refers to peddling worthless things or making empty promises. The proverb thus frames boasting about popularity as an act of selling something insubstantial and illusory.

Critique of Social Performance

In hierarchical societies of the 16th and 17th centuries, public greetings were a visible marker of one's social standing. The proverb satirizes individuals who mistake these fleeting social rituals for genuine influence or power, revealing a preoccupation with appearance over substance.

Psychology of Insecurity

The proverb astutely identifies the psychological need for external validation. Bragging about greetings suggests an ego that relies on superficial social feedback rather than internal self-worth, highlighting a fundamental insecurity.

Rhetorical Devices

Metaphor

The 'good morrows' serve as a metaphor for any form of superficial social approval or hollow praise that is presented as a significant achievement.

Implied Context

The proverb's meaning is heavily reliant on the implied context provided by the cross-reference to 'selling smoke', which frames the act as one of deception.

Aphoristic Phrasing

The phrase is a concise, almost archetypal description of a specific kind of foolish behavior, making it a memorable and cutting piece of social commentary.