"Good-humoured, unaffected girls, will not do for a man who has been used to sensible women. They are two distinct orders of being"

Jane Austen draws a sharp distinction between two types of women: those who are “good-humoured” and “unaffected”, suggesting a kind of natural cheerfulness and lack of guile, and women described as “sensible,” implying wisdom, intelligence, and discernment. Austen’s narrator asserts that there is a fundamental incompatibility between these categories; for a man accustomed to the company of “sensible women,” the more naïve and lively, but perhaps less intellectually engaging, company of “good-humoured, unaffected girls” will not suffice. The “two distinct orders of being” metaphor is deliberate and revealing. Rather than simply two different personalities, the phrase evokes almost a biological or spiritual separation, as if each type exists in its own sphere, governed by different laws and internal logic.

Austen’s irony is delicate and incisive here. The observation is laced with her characteristic wit. She recognizes the social world’s tendency to value certain female attributes depending on the context and the tastes of men. A man used to “sensible women” is one who has engaged with substance, thoughtfulness, and perhaps a level of mature conversation; the implication is that he cannot return to lighter, perhaps more superficial company without feeling the lack. Conversely, girls who are cheerful and unpretentious might appeal in their freshness or simplicity, but for those who seek more intellectual intimacy, this charm does not prove enduring.

Through this distinction, Austen also subtly critiques social expectations and the categories women are forced into. Which “order of being” is preferable? That assessment depends as much on the observer as on the women themselves. Austen’s work often explores these questions, using such commentary to highlight both the limitations imposed by society and the complexities of personal preference and connection between individuals.