It’s possible, but if you pay attention, you will see that you do not have an inner sweetness, in which case you will understand where you stand spiritually. Once in a while we think that we are endowed with a certain virtue just because we recognize some of its external traits and have adopted them in order to seem virtuous. But this is not real virtue and cannot last; it will be filtered at some point and then reality will emerge. For instance, it is one thing when one struggles not to speak in order to avoid hurting others, and thus gradually acquires the virtue of silence; and it is quite another thing when one does not speak in order to appear as though he has the virtue of silence. In the latter case, he may be silent, but his thoughts will be constantly jabbering away and he will be full of in array of passions. One’s external behavior may make him seem like a perfect saint… “
 
– ‘Passions and Virtues’