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It seems to me that pretension assumes negativity. That is, it is by definition never practical or helpful. To me it implies someone faking knowledge or understanding, usually by reference to authority, that they don't possess. Usually to impress someone. But there's probably some good thing that's a close cousin to pretension, something like self-confident actual knowledge. Using some key words and phrases to pretend you're a Kierkegaard expert is pretentious; actually knowing a lot about Kierkegaard is cool. But it may be I'm understanding pretentious in a different sense than other people.
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"Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht."
"The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
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