It is a kind of cult of the ego … It is the pleasure of causing surprise in others, and the proud satisfaction of never showing any oneself. A dandy may be blasé, he may even suffer pain, but in the latter case he will keep smiling, like the Spartan under the bite of the fox. Clearly, then, dandyism in certain respects comes close to spirituality and to stoicism--Charles Baudelaire, The Painter of Modern Life
Sounds dead on to me. And 50, even 25 years ago I would have said it was a prominent feature of the landscape, particularly the academic landscape. My friend Taxmom has said that the trouble with academic life is that behavior is rewarded there that would be punished anyplace else. And, yes, I wouldn't be surprised if I dabbled in a bit of dandyism myself. In my time, which was long ago. But Baudelaire continues:
Dandyism is the last flicker of heroism in decadent ages … Dandyism is a setting sun; like the declining star, it is magnificent, without heat and full of melancholy. But alas! The rising tide of democracy, which spreads everywhere and reduces everything to the same level, is daily carrying away these last champions of human pride.Can this be right? Is dandyism in decline? And if so, can we blame it on "the rising tide of democracy?"
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