He understands that it would be useless to try and correct and comprehends the ideology of comparison: "This made me reflect how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor doing himself honour among those who are out of all degree of equality or comparison with him. nothing is great or little otherwise than by comparison" (p. 138). When he sees the breast of a nursing Brobdingnag, he realizes the skin of English ladies appears beautiful only because it is of his own size and if seen through a magnifying glass, the whitest skin would resemble the roughness of the "monstrous" breast. Although he is disgusted, Gulliver realizes that imperfection is part of being human. He then remembers Lilliputians having the same shock at his imperfections when first seeing his unpleasant complexion from a closer view. This is another prime example of Gulliver's character complementing that of a Horatian satire throughout the beginning of the novel. .
In the third book, Gulliver's travels take him to the flying island of Laputa, inhabited by a race of egotistical men whose main interests, astronomy and music, have placed them out of touch with real human interests and reality itself. The Laputians excel at theoretical mathematics, but they can't build houses where the walls are straight and the corners are square. Instead, they constantly worry about when the sun will burn out and whether a comet will collide with the earth. This misuse of reason is portrayed in humorous fashion in chapter 6:.
"For he argued thus; that the two half Brains being left to debate the Matter between themselves within the space of one Scull, would soon come to a good Understanding, and produce that Moderation, as well as Regularity of Thinking, so much to be wished for in the Heads of those who imagine they come into the World only to watch and govern its Motion: And as to the difference of Brains in Quantity or Quality, among those who are Directors in Faction; the Doctor assured us from his own knowledge, that it was a perfect Trifle" (ch 6).
