The character of Mr. Darcy very much reflects the changing standards of English masculinity as unlike the heroes of the 18th century with their excessive politeness and unwillingness to offend, Mr. Darcy says whatever he likes, which showed his authenticity and honesty, which were the most important attributes for a man in the new Romantic age. Even after Mr. Darcy apologises to Miss Bennet for his brusque rudeness, his honesty meant that change of heart was sincere, and not the polished words of a follower of the cult of sensibility. More broadly, the character of Mr. Darcy showed the emergence of a new type of rawer masculinity that could not tolerate the foppish, superficial values of the previous century. Nicolson called Darcy "the template on which the severe and unbending model of Victorian manliness is founded". Nicolson concluded that: "The implication of the novel is that there is something better than politeness and that the merely civil is inadequate. ... Darcy is 'silent, grave and indifferent', words in this new moral universe which signal pure approval". At one point, Darcy states "disguise of every sort is my abhorrence" reflecting the fact he never pretends to be anything other than what he is. When the lightweight and pretentious Miss Bingley lists all the attributes of "an accomplished woman", Darcy says "To all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading", indicating he wants more from a woman than what Miss Bingley thinks is necessary.