01-what is man-第7章

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knowing　it　HE　WENT　THERE　TO　SHOW　A　NEGLECTED　WORLD　THE　LARGE

TALENT　THAT　WAS　IN　HIM；　AND　RISE　TO　DISTINCTION。　　As　I　have

warned　you　before；　NO　act　springs　from　any　but　the　one　law；　the

one　motive。　　But　I　pray　you；　do　not　accept　this　law　upon　my　say…

so；　but　diligently　examine　for　yourself。　　Whenever　you　read　of　a

self…sacrificing　act　or　hear　of　one；　or　of　a　duty　done　for　DUTY'S

SAKE；　take　it　to　pieces　and　look　for　the　REAL　motive。　　It　is

always　there。



Y。M。　　I　do　it　every　day。　　I　cannot　help　it；　now　that　I　have

gotten　started　upon　the　degrading　and　exasperating　quest。　　For　it

is　hatefully　interesting！in　fact；　fascinating　is　the　word。　　As

soon　as　I　come　across　a　golden　deed　in　a　book　I　have　to　stop　and

take　it　apart　and　examine　it；　I　cannot　help　myself。



O。M。　　Have　you　ever　found　one　that　defeated　the　rule？



Y。M。　　Noat　least；　not　yet。　　But　take　the　case　of　servant…

tipping　in　Europe。　　You　pay　the　HOTEL　for　service；　you　owe　the

servants　NOTHING；　yet　you　pay　them　besides。　　Doesn't　that　defeat　it？



O。M。　　In　what　way？



Y。M。　　You　are　not　OBLIGED　to　do　it；　therefore　its　source　is

compassion　for　their　ill…paid　condition；　and



O。M。　　Has　that　custom　ever　vexed　you；　annoyed　you；　irritated　you？



Y。M。　　Well；　yes。



O。M。　　Still　you　succumbed　to　it？



Y。M。　　Of　course。



O。M。　　Why　of　course？



Y。M。　　Well；　custom　is　law；　in　a　way；　and　laws　must　be

submitted　toeverybody　recognizes　it　as　a　DUTY。



O。M。　　Then　you　pay　for　the　irritating　tax　for　DUTY'S　sake？



Y。M。　　I　suppose　it　amounts　to　that。



O。M。　　Then　the　impulse　which　moves　you　to　submit　to　the　tax

is　not　ALL　compassion；　charity；　benevolence？



Y。M。　　Wellperhaps　not。



O。M。　　Is　ANY　of　it？



Y。M。　　Iperhaps　I　was　too　hasty　in　locating　its　source。



O。M。　　Perhaps　so。　　In　case　you　ignored　the　custom　would　you

get　prompt　and　effective　service　from　the　servants？



Y。M。　　Oh；　hear　yourself　talk！　　Those　European　servants？

Why；　you　wouldn't　get　any　of　all；　to　speak　of。



O。M。　　Couldn't　THAT　work　as　an　impulse　to　move　you　to　pay

the　tax？



Y。M。　　I　am　not　denying　it。



O。M。　　Apparently；　then；　it　is　a　case　of　for…duty's…sake　with

a　little　self…interest　added？



Y。M。　　Yes；　it　has　the　look　of　it。　　But　here　is　a　point：

we　pay　that　tax　knowing　it　to　be　unjust　and　an　extortion；　yet　we

go　away　with　a　pain　at　the　heart　if　we　think　we　have　been　stingy

with　the　poor　fellows；　and　we　heartily　wish　we　were　back　again；

so　that　we　could　do　the　right　thing；　and　MORE　than　the　right

thing；　the　GENEROUS　thing。　　I　think　it　will　be　difficult　for　you

to　find　any　thought　of　self　in　that　impulse。



O。M。　　I　wonder　why　you　should　think　so。　　When　you　find

service　charged　in　the　HOTEL　bill　does　it　annoy　you？



Y。M。　　No。



O。M。　　Do　you　ever　complain　of　the　amount　of　it？



Y。M。　　No；　it　would　not　occur　to　me。



O。M。　　The　EXPENSE；　then；　is　not　the　annoying　detail。　　It　is

a　fixed　charge；　and　you　pay　it　cheerfully；　you　pay　it　without　a

murmur。　　When　you　came　to　pay　the　servants；　how　would　you　like　it

if　each　of　the　men　and　maids　had　a　fixed　charge？



Y。M。　　Like　it？　　I　should　rejoice！



O。M。　　Even　if　the　fixed　tax　were　a　shade　MORE　than　you　had

been　in　the　habit　of　paying　in　the　form　of　tips？



Y。M。　　Indeed；　yes！



O。M。　　Very　well；　then。　　As　I　understand　it；　it　isn't　really

compassion　nor　yet　duty　that　moves　you　to　pay　the　tax；　and　it

isn't　the　AMOUNT　of　the　tax　that　annoys　you。　　Yet　SOMETHING

annoys　you。　　What　is　it？



Y。M。　　Well；　the　trouble　is；　you　never　know　WHAT　to　pay；　the

tax　varies　so；　all　over　Europe。



O。M。　　So　you　have　to　guess？



Y。M。　　There　is　no　other　way。　　So　you　go　on　thinking　and

thinking；　and　calculating　and　guessing；　and　consulting　with　other

people　and　getting　their　views；　and　it　spoils　your　sleep　nights；

and　makes　you　distraught　in　the　daytime；　and　while　you　are

pretending　to　look　at　the　sights　you　are　only　guessing　and

guessing　and　guessing　all　the　time；　and　being　worried　and

miserable。



O。M。　　And　all　about　a　debt　which　you　don't　owe　and　don't

have　to　pay　unless　you　want　to！　　Strange。　　What　is　the　purpose　of

the　guessing？



Y。M。　　To　guess　out　what　is　right　to　give　them；　and　not　be

unfair　to　any　of　them。



O。M。　　It　has　quite　a　noble　looktaking　so　much　pains　and　using　up

so　much　valuable　time　in　order　to　be　just　and　fair　to　a　poor　servant

to　whom　you　owe　nothing；　but　who　needs　money　and　is　ill　paid。



Y。M。　　I　think；　myself；　that　if　there　is　any　ungracious

motive　back　of　it　it　will　be　hard　to　find。



O。M。　　How　do　you　know　when　you　have　not　paid　a　servant　fairly？



Y。M。　　Why；　he　is　silent；　does　not　thank　you。　　Sometimes　he

gives　you　a　look　that　makes　you　ashamed。　　You　are　too　proud　to

rectify　your　mistake　there；　with　people　looking；　but　afterward

you　keep　on　wishing　and　wishing　you　HAD　done　it。　　My；　the　shame

and　the　pain　of　it！　　Sometimes　you　see；　by　the　signs；　that　you

have　it　JUST　RIGHT；　and　you　go　away　mightily　satisfied。

Sometimes　the　man　is　so　effusively　thankful　that　you　know　you

have　given　him　a　good　deal　MORE　than　was　necessary。



O。M。　　NECESSARY？　　Necessary　for　what？



Y。M。　　To　content　him。



O。M。　　How　do　you　feel　THEN？



Y。M。　　Repentant。



O。M。　　It　is　my　belief　that　you　have　NOT　been　concerning

yourself　in　guessing　out　his　just　dues；　but　only　in　ciphering　out

what　would　CONTENT　him。　　And　I　think　you　have　a　self…deluding

reason　for　that。



Y。M。　　What　was　it？



O。M。　　If　you　fell　short　of　what　he　was　expecting　and

wanting；　you　would　get　a　look　which　would　SHAME　YOU　BEFORE　FOLK。

That　would　give　you　PAIN。　　YOUfor　you　are　only　working　for

yourself；　not　HIM。　　If　you　gave　him　too　much　you　would　be　ASHAMED

OF　YOURSELF　for　it；　and　that　would　give　YOU　painanother　case　of

thinking　of　YOURSELF；　protecting　yourself；　SAVING　YOURSELF　FROM

DISCOMFORT。　　You　never　think　of　the　servant　onceexcept　to　guess

out　how　to　get　HIS　APPROVAL。　　If　you　get　that；　you　get　your　OWN

approval；　and　that　is　the　sole　and　only　thing　you　are　after。　　The

Master　inside　of　you　is　then　satisfied；　contented；　comfortable；

there　was　NO　OTHER　thing　at　stake；　as　a　matter　of　FIRST　interest；

anywhere　in　the　transaction。







Further　Instances



Y。M。　　Well；　to　think　of　it；　Self…Sacrifice　for　others；　the

grandest　thing　in　man；　ruled　out！　non…existent！



O。M。　　Are　you　accusing　me　of　saying　that？



Y。M。　　Why；　certainly。



O。M。　　I　haven't　said　it。



Y。M。　　What　did　you　say；　then？



O。M。　　That　no　man　has　ever　sacrificed　himself　in　the　common

meaning　of　that　phrasewhich　is；　self…sacrifice　for　another

ALONE。　　Men　make　daily　sacrifices　for　others；　but　it　is　for　their

own　sake　FIRST。　　The　act　must　content　their　own　spirit　FIRST。

The　other　beneficiaries　come　second。



Y。M。　　And　the　same　with　duty　for　duty's　sake？



O。M。　　Yes。　　No　man　performs　a　duty　for　mere　duty's　sake；　the　act

must　content　his　spirit　FIRST。　　He　must　feel　better　for　DOING　the

duty　than　he　would　for　shirking　it。　　Otherwise　he　will　not　do　it。



Y。M。　　Take　the　case　of　the　BERKELEY　CASTLE。



O。M。　　It　was　a　noble　duty；　greatly　performed。　　Take　it　to

pieces　and　examine　it；　if　you　like。



Y。M。　　A　British　troop…ship　crowded　with　soldiers　and　their

wives　and　children。　　She　struck　a　rock　and　began　to　sink。　　There

was　room　in　the　boats　for　the　women　and　children　only。　　The

colonel　lined　up　his　regiment　on　the　deck　and　said　〃it　is　our

duty　to　die；　that　they　may　be　saved。〃　　There　was　no　murmur；　no

protest。　　The　boats　carried　away　the　women　and　children。　　When

the　death…moment　was　come；　the　colonel　and　his　officers　took

their　several　posts；　the　men　stood　at　shoulder…arms；　and　so；　as

on　dress…parade；　with　their　flag　flying　and　the　drums　beating；

they　went　down；　a　sacrifice　to　duty　for　duty's　sake。　　Can　you

view　it　as　other　than　that？



O。M。　　It　was　something　as　fine　as　that；　as　exalted　as　that。

Could　you　have　remained　in　those　ranks　and　gone　down　to　your