01-what is man-第3章

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What　is　the　sole　impulse　that　ever　moves　a　person　to　do　a　thing？



O。M。　　The　impulse　to　CONTENT　HIS　OWN　SPIRITthe　NECESSITY

of　contenting　his　own　spirit　and　WINNING　ITS　APPROVAL。



Y。M。　　Oh；　come；　that　won't　do！



O。M。　　Why　won't　it？



Y。M。　　Because　it　puts　him　in　the　attitude　of　always　looking

out　for　his　own　comfort　and　advantage；　whereas　an　unselfish　man

often　does　a　thing　solely　for　another　person's　good　when　it　is　a

positive　disadvantage　to　himself。



O。M。　　It　is　a　mistake。　　The　act　must　do　HIM　good；　FIRST；

otherwise　he　will　not　do　it。　　He　may　THINK　he　is　doing　it　solely

for　the　other　person's　sake；　but　it　is　not　so；　he　is　contenting

his　own　spirit　firstthe　other's　person's　benefit　has　to　always

take　SECOND　place。



Y。M。　　What　a　fantastic　idea！　　What　becomes　of　self…

sacrifice？　　Please　answer　me　that。



O。M。　　What　is　self…sacrifice？



Y。M。　　The　doing　good　to　another　person　where　no　shadow　nor

suggestion　of　benefit　to　one's　self　can　result　from　it。







II



Man's　Sole　Impulsethe　Securing　of　His　Own　Approval





Old　Man。　　There　have　been　instances　of　ityou　think？



Young　Man。　　INSTANCES？　　Millions　of　them！



O。M。　　You　have　not　jumped　to　conclusions？　　You　have　examined

themcritically？



Y。M。　　They　don't　need　it：　　the　acts　themselves　reveal　the

golden　impulse　back　of　them。



O。M。　　For　instance？



Y。M。　　Well；　then；　for　instance。　　Take　the　case　in　the　book

here。　　The　man　lives　three　miles　up…town。　　It　is　bitter　cold；

snowing　hard；　midnight。　　He　is　about　to　enter　the　horse…car　when

a　gray　and　ragged　old　woman；　a　touching　picture　of　misery；　puts

out　her　lean　hand　and　begs　for　rescue　from　hunger　and　death。　　The

man　finds　that　he　has　a　quarter　in　his　pocket；　but　he　does　not

hesitate：　　he　gives　it　her　and　trudges　home　through　the　storm。

Thereit　is　noble；　it　is　beautiful；　its　grace　is　marred　by　no

fleck　or　blemish　or　suggestion　of　self…interest。



O。M。　　What　makes　you　think　that？



Y。M。　　Pray　what　else　could　I　think？　　Do　you　imagine　that

there　is　some　other　way　of　looking　at　it？



O。M。　　Can　you　put　yourself　in　the　man's　place　and　tell　me

what　he　felt　and　what　he　thought？



Y。M。　　Easily。　　The　sight　of　that　suffering　old　face　pierced

his　generous　heart　with　a　sharp　pain。　　He　could　not　bear　it。　　He

could　endure　the　three…mile　walk　in　the　storm；　but　he　could　not

endure　the　tortures　his　conscience　would　suffer　if　he　turned　his

back　and　left　that　poor　old　creature　to　perish。　　He　would　not

have　been　able　to　sleep；　for　thinking　of　it。



O。M。　　What　was　his　state　of　mind　on　his　way　home？



Y。M。　　It　was　a　state　of　joy　which　only　the　self…sacrificer

knows。　　His　heart　sang；　he　was　unconscious　of　the　storm。



O。M。　　He　felt　well？



Y。M。　　One　cannot　doubt　it。



O。M。　　Very　well。　　Now　let　us　add　up　the　details　and　see　how

much　he　got　for　his　twenty…five　cents。　　Let　us　try　to　find　out

the　REAL　why　of　his　making　the　investment。　　In　the　first　place　HE

couldn't　bear　the　pain　which　the　old　suffering　face　gave　him。　　So

he　was　thinking　of　HIS　painthis　good　man。　　He　must　buy　a　salve

for　it。　　If　he　did　not　succor　the　old　woman　HIS　conscience　would

torture　him　all　the　way　home。　　Thinking　of　HIS　pain　again。　　He

must　buy　relief　for　that。　　If　he　didn't　relieve　the　old　woman　HE

would　not　get　any　sleep。　　He　must　buy　some　sleepstill　thinking

of　HIMSELF；　you　see。　　Thus；　to　sum　up；　he　bought　himself　free　of

a　sharp　pain　in　his　heart；　he　bought　himself　free　of　the　tortures

of　a　waiting　conscience；　he　bought　a　whole　night's　sleepall　for

twenty…five　cents！　　It　should　make　Wall　Street　ashamed　of　itself。

On　his　way　home　his　heart　was　joyful；　and　it　sangprofit　on　top

of　profit！　　The　impulse　which　moved　the　man　to　succor　the　old

woman　wasFIRSTto　CONTENT　HIS　OWN　SPIRIT；　secondly　to　relieve

HER　sufferings。　　Is　it　your　opinion　that　men's　acts　proceed　from

one　central　and　unchanging　and　inalterable　impulse；　or　from　a

variety　of　impulses？



Y。M。　　From　a　variety；　of　coursesome　high　and　fine　and

noble；　others　not。　　What　is　your　opinion？



O。M。　　Then　there　is　but　ONE　law；　one　source。



Y。M。　　That　both　the　noblest　impulses　and　the　basest　proceed

from　that　one　source？



O。M。　　Yes。



Y。M。　　Will　you　put　that　law　into　words？



O。M。　　Yes。　　This　is　the　law；　keep　it　in　your　mind。　　FROM　HIS

CRADLE　TO　HIS　GRAVE　A　MAN　NEVER　DOES　A　SINGLE　THING　WHICH　HAS　ANY

FIRST　AND　FOREMOST　OBJECT　BUT　ONETO　SECURE　PEACE　OF　MIND；

SPIRITUAL　COMFORT；　FOR　HIMSELF。



Y。M。　　Come！　　He　never　does　anything　for　any　one　else's

comfort；　spiritual　or　physical？



O。M。　　No。　　EXCEPT　ON　THOSE　DISTINCT　TERMSthat　it　shall

FIRST　secure　HIS　OWN　spiritual　comfort。　　Otherwise　he　will　not　do

it。



Y。M。　　It　will　be　easy　to　expose　the　falsity　of　that

proposition。



O。M。　　For　instance？



Y。M。　　Take　that　noble　passion；　love　of　country；　patriotism。

A　man　who　loves　peace　and　dreads　pain；　leaves　his　pleasant　home

and　his　weeping　family　and　marches　out　to　manfully　expose　himself

to　hunger；　cold；　wounds；　and　death。　　Is　that　seeking　spiritual

comfort？



O。M。　　He　loves　peace　and　dreads　pain？



Y。M。　　Yes。



O。M。　　Then　perhaps　there　is　something　that　he　loves　MORE

than　he　loves　peaceTHE　APPROVAL　OF　HIS　NEIGHBORS　AND　THE

PUBLIC。　　And　perhaps　there　is　something　which　he　dreads　more　than

he　dreads　painthe　DISAPPROVAL　of　his　neighbors　and　the　public。

If　he　is　sensitive　to　shame　he　will　go　to　the　fieldnot　because

his　spirit　will　be　ENTIRELY　comfortable　there；　but　because　it

will　be　more　comfortable　there　than　it　would　be　if　he　remained　at

home。　　He　will　always　do　the　thing　which　will　bring　him　the　MOST

mental　comfortfor　that　is　THE　SOLE　LAW　OF　HIS　LIFE。　　He　leaves

the　weeping　family　behind；　he　is　sorry　to　make　them

uncomfortable；　but　not　sorry　enough　to　sacrifice　his　OWN　comfort

to　secure　theirs。



Y。M。　　Do　you　really　believe　that　mere　public　opinion　could

force　a　timid　and　peaceful　man　to



O。M。　　Go　to　war？　　Yespublic　opinion　can　force　some　men　to

do　ANYTHING。



Y。M。　　ANYTHING？



O。M。　　Yesanything。



Y。M。　　I　don't　believe　that。　　Can　it　force　a　right…principled

man　to　do　a　wrong　thing？



O。M。　　Yes。



Y。M。　　Can　it　force　a　kind　man　to　do　a　cruel　thing？



O。M。　　Yes。



Y。M。　　Give　an　instance。



O。M。　　Alexander　Hamilton　was　a　conspicuously　high…principled

man。　　He　regarded　dueling　as　wrong；　and　as　opposed　to　the

teachings　of　religionbut　in　deference　to　PUBLIC　OPINION　he

fought　a　duel。　　He　deeply　loved　his　family；　but　to　buy　public

approval　he　treacherously　deserted　them　and　threw　his　life　away；

ungenerously　leaving　them　to　lifelong　sorrow　in　order　that　he

might　stand　well　with　a　foolish　world。　　In　the　then　condition　of

the　public　standards　of　honor　he　could　not　have　been　comfortable

with　the　stigma　upon　him　of　having　refused　to　fight。　　The

teachings　of　religion；　his　devotion　to　his　family；　his　kindness

of　heart；　his　high　principles；　all　went　for　nothing　when　they

stood　in　the　way　of　his　spiritual　comfort。　　A　man　will　do

ANYTHING；　no　matter　what　it　is；　TO　SECURE　HIS　SPIRITUAL　COMFORT；

and　he　can　neither　be　forced　nor　persuaded　to　any　act　which　has

not　that　goal　for　its　object。　　Hamilton's　act　was　compelled　by

the　inborn　necessity　of　contenting　his　own　spirit；　in　this　it　was

like　all　the　other　acts　of　his　life；　and　like　all　the　acts　of　all

men's　lives。　　Do　you　see　where　the　kernel　of　the　matter　lies？　　A

man　cannot　be　comfortable　without　HIS　OWN　approval。　　He　will

secure　the　largest　share　possible　of　that；　at　all　costs；　all

sacrifices。



Y。M。　　A　minute　ago　you　said　Hamilton　fought　that　duel　to　get

PUBLIC　approval。



O。M。　　I　did。　　By　refusing　to　fight　the　duel　he　would　have

secured　his　family's　approval　and　a　large　share　of　his　own；　but

the　public　approval　was　more　valuable　in　his　eyes　than　all　other

approvals　put　togetherin　the　earth　or　above　it；　to　secure　that

would　furnish　him　the　MOST　comfort　of　mind；　the　most　SELF