Spinoza's Ethics: III.P34 - The More We Do The More We Try

Quo majore affectu rem amatam erga nos affectam esse imaginamur, eo magis gloriabimur.

The greater the emotion by which we imagine that the beloved one has been affected with respect to ourselves, the more we will boast.

DEMONSTRATIO: Nos (per propositionem præcedentem) conamur quantum possumus ut res amata nos contra amet hoc est (per scholium propositionis 13 hujus) ut res amata lætitia afficiatur concomitante idea nostri. Quo itaque rem amatam majore lætitia nostra de causa affectam esse imaginamur, eo magis hic conatus juvatur hoc est (per propositionem 11 hujus cum ejus scholio) eo majore lætitia afficimur. At cum ex eo lætemur quod alium nobis similem lætitia affecimus, tum nosmet cum lætitia contemplamur (per propositionem 30 hujus) : ergo quo majore affectu rem amatam erga nos affectam esse imaginamur, eo majore lætitia nosmet contemplabimur sive (per scholium propositionis 30 hujus) eo magis gloriabimur. Q.E.D.

We try (by IIIP33 [Reciprocity of Likeness]) as much as we are able that the beloved one might love us in return, that is (by IIIP13S [Conatus to Forget]) that the beloved one is affected with joy accompanied by the idea of us. Thus the more that we imagine that the beloved one has been affected with greater joy from our cause, the more this effort is aided that is (by IIIP11 with IIIP11S [Good for Body, Good for Mind]) the more we are affected with joy. But since from this we are joyous because we affect someone like us with joy, then we view ourselves with joy (by IIIP30 [Looking at Others Looking at Us]): thus, the greater the emotion by which we imagine that the beloved one has been affected with respect to us, the greater our joy we will contemplate ourselves or (by IIIP30S) the more we will boast.