And what about those men who spend hours at the barber? They sit there while every hair that grew overnight gets plucked out by the roots. They hold serious debates about each individual hair. They carefully arrange their scattered locks and force the ones that fall backward onto their foreheads. How furious they get if the barber is a little careless — as if he were trimming an actual man! They work themselves into a rage if any part of their precious mane gets cut off. If some section isn't arranged perfectly. If their curls don't all lie in perfect order. Which of these men wouldn't rather see the government collapse than have his hair messed up? Who doesn't care more about how his head looks than his actual health? Who wouldn't choose fancy appearance over real honor?
Why, do you call those men idle, who pass many hours at the barber's while the growth of the past night is being plucked out by the roots, holding councils over each several hair, while the scattered locks are arranged in order and those which fall back are forced forward on to the forehead? How angry they become if the shaver is a little careless, as though he were shearing a _man_! what a white heat they work themselves into if some of their mane is cut away, if some part of it is ill-arranged, if all their ringlets do not lie in regular order! who of them would not rather that the state were overthrown than that his hair should be ruffled? who does not care more for the appearance of his head than for his health? who would not prefer ornament to honour?