Henry Crawford had too much sense not to feel the worth of good principles in a wife, though he was too little accustomed to serious reflection to know them by their proper name; but when he talked of her having such a steadiness and regularity of conduct, such a high notion of honour, and such an observance of decorum as might warrant any man in the fullest dependence on her faith and integrity, he expressed what was inspired by the knowledge of her being well principled and religious.
Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, Chapter 30. I trust everyone has had the experience of talking with someone who was "too little accustomed to serious reflection" to know virtues and principles by their proper name, and thus talk vaguely of some valuable thing under the name of some other valuable thing.
I trust also that everyone has had the experience on occasion of doing this very thing themselves. I do not trust, however, that everyone recognizes that they have had the experience.
