Alternatively, wasting all your money is also damaging. "There is a mean in living, there are fixed boundary lines, and the good can't support itself outside of them (Horace I. 2. 106)." In these examples, Horace gives beneficial advice on how to live; by living a modest life. "Veering away from one vice, fools collide with its contrary (Horace I. 2. 23)." .
In Book I, Horace seems to easily pick out shortcomings of others, and offer them advice on how to better their lives. In Book II, he uses other people to expose his flaws and repugn the idea that Horace has his life all together in order. In Satire 4 of Book II, Horace is talking to Damasippus. Damasippus is giving his view on human insanity, how all humans do crazy, unreasonable things. At the end of Damasippus" speech, Horace asks his what quality he believes would characterize Horace as mad. Damasippus responds by criticizing Horace for not writing anything original. He also exposes, without any explanation, the fact that Horace overspends and has an eye for children. Horace got upset when his faults are shown to him. It is ironic that these transgressions are the same as the ones he denounced in his first book. In Satire 7 of Book I, a slave named Davus confronts Horace. Davus tell him that he is nothing more than a hypocrite and a slave himself. He reprimands Horace for being lazy. He says that Horace raves about how he loves simple living when no one invites him to dinner, but as soon as he receives an invitation he forgets he previous idea and rushes around to get ready. .
Horace uses these dialogs to show that he too falls prey to the immorality of human nature. Instead of just admitting him imperfections in the text, he has others point them out to him so his confessions seem more real and tangible to his readers. If he had simply stated that he too was a victim or, rather, a perpetrator of erroneous living, the assertion would have been easy to overlook or not taken as having much value.
