sethmblack Amour Propre Diagnosis
Identify when vanity, status-seeking, or comparative self-esteem is corrupting judgment, decisions, or relationships.
Token Budget: ~550 tokens Source Expert: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
When to Use
- Examining motivations behind decisions or behaviors
- Leadership coaching and self-examination
- Analyzing team dynamics corrupted by status competition
- Understanding consumer behavior driven by comparison
- Any situation where the "real reason" differs from the stated reason
- When someone asks "Why do I really want this?"
Inputs
| Input | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| behavior_or_decision | Yes | What action, choice, or motivation to examine |
| social_context | Yes | Relevant relationships, hierarchies, or comparison dynamics |
| stated_reason | No | How the person justifies the behavior |
Core Distinction
Amour de Soi (Healthy Self-Love)
| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
| Natural | Present in state of nature |
| Self-preserving | Seeks to meet genuine needs |
| Non-comparative | Does not require others to be lower |
| Compatible with compassion | Can coexist with pitié (pity for others) |
| Sufficient | Satisfied when needs are met |
Amour Propre (Destructive Vanity)
| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
| Social product | Emerges only in society |
| Comparative | Requires being seen as superior |
| Insatiable | Never finally satisfied |
| Destroys sympathy | Incompatible with genuine compassion |
| Creates artificial needs | What we "need" is really what we need others to see us have |
Rousseau's insight: Amour propre "inspires in men all the evil they do to one another" by making self-worth dependent on comparison and superiority.
Workflow
Step 1: 1. Surface the Stated Motivation
Begin with what the person (self or other) claims as their reason:
- What justification is offered?
- What need is supposedly being met?
- How is this framed as reasonable or necessary?
Step 2: 2. Apply the Comparison Test
Ask: Would this still be wanted if no one else could see or know?
- Does the desire depend on others' awareness?
- Is the goal intrinsic satisfaction or being seen as having/being something?
- Would a "lesser" version satisfy if it weren't visible?
If the desire evaporates without audience, amour propre is likely at work.
Step 3: 3. Apply the Superiority Test
Ask: Does this require being "better than" others?
- Is the goal relative position or absolute condition?
- Would achieving this feel hollow if everyone else achieved it too?
- Is scarcity or exclusivity part of the appeal?
If the desire requires others to have less, amour propre is likely at work.
Step 4: 4. Apply the Sufficiency Test
Ask: Can this desire ever be fully satisfied?
- Is there a natural endpoint, or does the goal keep receding?
- Does achieving it create peace or new comparisons?
- Is "enough" even possible?
Amour de soi has natural limits; amour propre is insatiable.
Step 5: 5. Diagnose and Prescribe
Based on the tests:
- Pure amour de soi: Healthy motivation; proceed
- Mixed: Identify the vanity component; consider how to meet genuine need without comparison
- Pure amour propre: Recognize that satisfaction is impossible through this path; seek the underlying genuine need
Outputs
## Amour Propre Diagnosis: [Behavior/Decision]
### Stated Motivation
[What is claimed as the reason]
### Comparison Test
Would this still be wanted if no one could see?
[Analysis and verdict: YES/NO/MIXED]
### Superiority Test
Does this require being "better than" others?
[Analysis and verdict: YES/NO/MIXED]
### Sufficiency Test
Can this ever be fully satisfied?
[Analysis and verdict: YES/NO/MIXED]
### Diagnosis
[Amour de soi / Amour propre / Mixed]
### The Hidden Need
[If amour propre is present, what genuine need might be beneath it?]
### Recommendation
[How to meet authentic need without comparative corruption]
Error Handling
| Situation | Response |
|---|---|
| Self-deception makes analysis difficult | Look at behavior patterns, not stated beliefs |
| Accused person becomes defensive | Focus on universal human tendency, not individual failing |
| All human motivation is mixed | Acknowledge the mix; identify which component is driving |
| Cultural context normalizes amour propre | Note that normalization doesn't equal health |
Outputs
Primary Output: A structured analysis document that identifies and articulates patterns, insights, and actionable recommendations based on the input data.
Format:
## Analysis: [Topic]
### Key Findings
- [Finding 1]
- [Finding 2]
- [Finding 3]
### Recommendations
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]
3. [Action 3]
Example output: See the Example section below for a complete demonstration.
Constraints
- Do not use this analysis as the sole basis for critical decisions
- Do not apply this framework to situations outside its intended scope
- Acknowledge that analysis is based on available data, which may be incomplete
- Honor the complexity of real-world situations that resist simple categorization
- Present findings with appropriate confidence levels
- Recognize the limits of the methodology
Additional Notes
Best practices:
- Use this skill when the situation clearly matches its intended use cases
- Combine with related skills for comprehensive analysis
- Iterate on outputs if initial results don't fully meet requirements
Common variations:
- Adjust the depth of analysis based on available time and information
- Scale the approach for different levels of complexity
- Adapt the output format to audience needs
When to skip this skill:
- The situation doesn't match the core use cases
- Simpler approaches would be more appropriate
- Time constraints require faster methods
Example
Input: A manager insists on an executive title change, claiming it's necessary for external credibility.
Abbreviated Output:
Stated Motivation
"I need the title for credibility with clients and partners."
Comparison Test
Would this matter if no one knew about the title change? NO. The entire point is external perception. This fails the test.
Superiority Test
Does this require being "above" others? YES. Executive titles are explicitly hierarchical. The appeal is relative position.
Sufficiency Test
Will this satisfy permanently? NO. Today's achievement becomes tomorrow's baseline. Next comes envy of C-suite.
Diagnosis
Amour propre - This is comparative self-esteem seeking external validation.
The Hidden Need
Beneath the title request may be genuine needs for:
- Recognition of contributions (amour de soi: legitimate)
- Security about one's value (amour de soi: legitimate)
- Respect from colleagues (can be either)
Recommendation
Address the genuine needs directly:
- Explicit recognition of contributions in team settings
- Security through results and relationships, not title
- If external credibility is actually needed, explore whether the title is the only or best solution
The title will not satisfy because its appeal is comparative. Meeting the underlying needs requires a different path.
Integration
This skill reveals the psychological corruption Rousseau saw as civilization's core damage. Use in conjunction with:
- general-will-inquiry when collective decisions are corrupted by status-seeking
- civilization-critique when examining how institutions create amour propre
- natural-education-design when shielding learners from vanity-inducing influences