Advice from Castiglione
In an attempt to instil all thought which may aid you in becoming the ideal courtier, which I describe in my novel, The Book of Courtier, I will briefly summarize what is meant by an ideal courtier. Then I will expound each of his values and in which way you may attain them.
An ideal courtier is one who retains all of the most important, undisputed values. He must pose as a combination of significant values from a plethora of commendable individuals, for he must become what may be described as a painting painted with the finest paints. Such values include his intrapersonal and interpersonal behavior, his view on the arts and his physical attributes. If you wish for a further description of an ideal courtier, please purchase my novel, The Book of Courtier. Not for advertising purposes.
Intrapersonal behavior is the manner in which an individual communicates with himself. It is in which way he thinks of himself, in which way he approaches issues that afflict himself. It is his own personal language. The language that one must learn in order to adopt the intrapersonal behavior of an ideal courtier is a blend between optimism and realism. He must think of himself as who he is, an ideal courtier, but not any more than that. He must approach problems with confidence, but not over-confidence. He must look at the world that surrounds him in a real way, however in a way of optimism. This means that if he finds areas of this world that displease him, he will not simply live with it. Rather, he will attempt to mend it, make it an area that pleases him.
Interpersonal behavior is the manner in which an individual communicates with others. Interaction with alternative individuals is a task which will be performed countlessly by any given individual. However, the manner in which they communicate with these alternative individuals renders if their interpersonal behavior is close to that of the ideal courtier. The ideal courtier is courteous. It is fundamental that he is kind to those who deserve it. He is respectful and polite. The ideal courtier is persuasive. He is a natural leader. He will convey his ideas in a manner that no one else can, a manner that none can resist to adopt them. He does not issue superfluous criticism which may not come to the aid of an alternative individual. For he assesses his own mistakes before addressing those of others.
For all aeons of this world will the arts be an essential component of society. Therefore, as an individual who embodies the utmost pure ideas of society, it is important that he attains a view on the arts. Of course, this view may not be unmitigated, however it must be one that is respectful.
Upon viewing a work of art, he will not immediately issue his opinion. He will analyse it, observe it with the greatest attention to detail. He will attempt to put himself in the position of the artist, search for this artists objective and judge the piece of art on how well this objective was conveyed. His opinions will not be vicious, they will be incredibly kind. If he does not favor a piece of art, he will not castigate the ability of the artist, he will not issue it as an unfavorable piece of art for all. He will comprehend that all may have contrasting opinions, therefore his opinion will serve only for himself. Further, he will comprehend that his opinion is equal to that of the common man, for if he may be flawed in his opinion. His view on art is one that will earn him respect, even from those who disagree with it.
The ideal courtier is an individual with laudable physical values. He will be both an athlete and a dancer. His movements will be elegant and nimble, much like those of a ballet dancer. His performance in sports will be so commendable that he may be regarded as a prime athlete. His body will exude all of these physical values. In order to do this, must an individual participate in even the most difficult travail. He will display his perseverance, his determination to achieve such physical values. He will have no issue in exerting tremendous amounts of effort in tedious activity, as long as this benefits him in any way. The ideal courtier will be a showcase of physical attributes.