01-what is man-第8章

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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

death　in　that　unflinching　way？



Y。M。　　Could　I？　　No；　I　could　not。



O。M。　　Think。　　Imagine　yourself　there；　with　that　watery　doom

creeping　higher　and　higher　around　you。



Y。M。　　I　can　imagine　it。　　I　feel　all　the　horror　of　it。　　I　could

not　have　endured　it；　I　could　not　have　remained　in　my　place。

I　know　it。



O。M。　　Why？



Y。M。　　There　is　no　why　about　it：　　I　know　myself；　and　I　know　I

couldn't　DO　it。



O。M。　　But　it　would　be　your　DUTY　to　do　it。



Y。M。　　Yes；　I　knowbut　I　couldn't。



O。M。　　It　was　more　than　thousand　men；　yet　not　one　of　them

flinched。　　Some　of　them　must　have　been　born　with　your

temperament；　if　they　could　do　that　great　duty　for　duty's　SAKE；

why　not　you？　　Don't　you　know　that　you　could　go　out　and　gather

together　a　thousand　clerks　and　mechanics　and　put　them　on　that

deck　and　ask　them　to　die　for　duty's　sake；　and　not　two　dozen　of

them　would　stay　in　the　ranks　to　the　end？



Y。M。　　Yes；　I　know　that。



O。M。　　But　your　TRAIN　them；　and　put　them　through　a　campaign

or　two；　then　they　would　be　soldiers；　soldiers；　with　a　soldier's

pride；　a　soldier's　self…respect；　a　soldier's　ideals。　　They　would

have　to　content　a　SOLDIER'S　spirit　then；　not　a　clerk's；　not　a

mechanic's。　　They　could　not　content　that　spirit　by　shirking　a

soldier's　duty；　could　they？



Y。M。　　I　suppose　not。



O。M。　　Then　they　would　do　the　duty　not　for　the　DUTY'S　sake；

but　for　their　OWN　sakeprimarily。　　The　DUTY　was　JUST　THE　SAME；

and　just　as　imperative；　when　they　were　clerks；　mechanics；　raw

recruits；　but　they　wouldn't　perform　it　for　that。　　As　clerks　and

mechanics　they　had　other　ideals；　another　spirit　to　satisfy；　and

they　satisfied　it。　　They　HAD　to；　it　is　the　law。　　TRAINING　is

potent。　　Training　toward　higher　and　higher；　and　ever　higher

ideals　is　worth　any　man's　thought　and　labor　and　diligence。



Y。M。　　Consider　the　man　who　stands　by　his　duty　and　goes　to

the　stake　rather　than　be　recreant　to　it。



O。M。　　It　is　his　make　and　his　training。　　He　has　to　content

the　spirit　that　is　in　him；　though　it　cost　him　his　life。　　Another

man；　just　as　sincerely　religious；　but　of　different　temperament；

will　fail　of　that　duty；　though　recognizing　it　as　a　duty；　and

grieving　to　be　unequal　to　it：　　but　he　must　content　the　spirit

that　is　in　himhe　cannot　help　it。　　He　could　not　perform　that

duty　for　duty's　SAKE；　for　that　would　not　content　his　spirit；　and

the　contenting　of　his　spirit　must　be　looked　to　FIRST。　　It　takes

precedence　of　all　other　duties。



Y。M。　　Take　the　case　of　a　clergyman　of　stainless　private

morals　who　votes　for　a　thief　for　public　office；　on　his　own

party's　ticket；　and　against　an　honest　man　on　the　other　ticket。



O。M。　　He　has　to　content　his　spirit。　　He　has　no　public

morals；　he　has　no　private　ones；　where　his　party's　prosperity　is

at　stake。　　He　will　always　be　true　to　his　make　and　training。







IV



Training



Young　Man。　　You　keep　using　that　wordtraining。　　By　it　do

you　particularly　mean



Old　Man。　　Study；　instruction；　lectures；　sermons？　　That　is　a

part　of　itbut　not　a　large　part。　　I　mean　ALL　the　outside

influences。　　There　are　a　million　of　them。　　From　the　cradle　to　the

grave；　during　all　his　waking　hours；　the　human　being　is　under

training。　　In　the　very　first　rank　of　his　trainers　stands

ASSOCIATION。　　It　is　his　human　environment　which　influences　his

mind　and　his　feelings；　furnishes　him　his　ideals；　and　sets　him　on

his　road　and　keeps　him　in　it。　　If　he　leave　that　road　he　will　find

himself　shunned　by　the　people　whom　he　most　loves　and　esteems；　and

whose　approval　he　most　values。　　He　is　a　chameleon；　by　the　law　of

his　nature　he　takes　the　color　of　his　place　of　resort。　　The

influences　about　him　create　his　preferences；　his　aversions；　his

politics；　his　tastes；　his　morals；　his　religion。　　He　creates　none

of　these　things　for　himself。　　He　THINKS　he　does；　but　that　is

because　he　has　not　examined　into　the　matter。　　You　have　seen

Presbyterians？



Y。M。　　Many。



O。M。　　How　did　they　happen　to　be　Presbyterians　and　not

Congregationalists？　　And　why　were　the　Congregationalists　not

Baptists；　and　the　Baptists　Roman　Catholics；　and　the　Roman

Catholics　Buddhists；　and　the　Buddhists　Quakers；　and　the　Quakers

Episcopalians；　and　the　Episcopalians　Millerites　and　the

Millerites　Hindus；　and　the　Hindus　Atheists；　and　the　Atheists

Spiritualists；　and　the　Spiritualists　Agnostics；　and　the　Agnostics

Methodists；　and　the　Methodists　Confucians；　and　the　Confucians

Unitarians；　and　the　Unitarians　Mohammedans；　and　the　Mohammedans

Salvation　Warriors；　and　the　Salvation　Warriors　Zoroastrians；　and

the　Zoroastrians　Christian　Scientists；　and　the　Christian

Scientists　Mormonsand　so　on？



Y。M。　　You　may　answer　your　question　yourself。



O。M。　　That　list　of　sects　is　not　a　record　of　STUDIES；

searchings；　seekings　after　light；　it　mainly　（and　sarcastically）

indicates　what　ASSOCIATION　can　do。　　If　you　know　a　man's

nationality　you　can　come　within　a　split　hair　of　guessing　the

complexion　of　his　religion：　　EnglishProtestant；　American

ditto；　Spaniard；　Frenchman；　Irishman；　Italian；　South　American

Roman　Catholic；　RussianGreek　Catholic；　TurkMohammedan；　and　so

on。　　And　when　you　know　the　man's　religious　complexion；　you　know

what　sort　of　religious　books　he　reads　when　he　wants　some　more

light；　and　what　sort　of　books　he　avoids；　lest　by　accident　he　get

more　light　than　he　wants。　　In　America　if　you　know　which　party…

collar　a　voter　wears；　you　know　what　his　associations　are；　and　how

he　came　by　his　politics；　and　which　breed　of　newspaper　he　reads　to

get　light；　and　which　breed　he　diligently　avoids；　and　which　breed

of　mass…meetings　he　attends　in　order　to　broaden　his　political

knowledge；　and　which　breed　of　mass…meetings　he　doesn't　attend；

except　to　refute　its　doctrines　with　brickbats。　　We　are　always

hearing　of　people　who　are　around　SEEKING　AFTER　TRUTH。　　I　have

never　seen　a　（permanent）　specimen。　　I　think　he　had　never　lived。

But　I　have　seen　several　entirely　sincere　people　who　THOUGHT　they

were　（permanent）　Seekers　after　Truth。　　They　sought　diligently；

persistently；　carefully；　cautiously；　profoundly；　with　perfect

honesty　and　nicely　adjusted　judgmentuntil　they　believed　that

without　doubt　or　question　they　had　found　the　Truth。　　THAT　WAS　THE

END　OF　THE　SEARCH。　　The　man　spent　the　rest　of　his　life　hunting　up

shingles　wherewith　to　protect　his　Truth　from　the　weather。　　If　he

was　seeking　after　political　Truth　he　found　it　in　one　or　another

of　the　hundred　political　gospels　which　govern　men　in　the　earth；

if　he　was　seeking　after　the　Only　True　Religion　he　found　it　in　one

or　another　of　the　three　thousand　that　are　on　the　market。　　In　any

case；　when　he　found　the　Truth　HE　SOUGHT　NO　FURTHER；　but　from　that

day　forth；　with　his　soldering…iron　in　one　hand　and　his　bludgeon

in　the　other　he　tinkered　its　leaks　and　reasoned　with　objectors。

There　have　been　innumerable　Temporary　Seekers　of　Truthhave　you

ever　heard　of　a　permanent　one？　　In　the　very　nature　of　man　such　a

person　is　impossible。　　However；　to　drop　back　to　the　text

training：　　all　training　is　one　from　or　another　of　OUTSIDE

INFLUENCE；　and　ASSOCIATION　is　the　largest　part　of　it。　　A　man　is

never　anything　but　what　his　outside　influences　have　made　him。

They　train　him　downward　or　they　train　him　upwardbut　they　TRAIN

him；　they　are　at　work　upon　him　all　the　time。



Y。M。　　Then　if　he　happen　by　the　accidents　of　life　to　be

evilly　placed　there　is　no　help　for　him；　according　to　your

notionshe　must　train　downward。



O。M。　　No　help　for　him？　　No　help　for　this　chameleon？　　It　is　a

mistake。　　It　is　in　his　chameleonship　that　his　greatest　good

fortune　lies。　　He　has　only　to　change　his　habitathis

ASSOCIATIONS。　　But　the　impulse　to　do　it　must　come　from　the

OUTSIDEhe　cannot　originate　it　himself；　with　that　purpose　in

view。　　Sometimes　a　very　small　and　accidental　thing　can　furnish

him　the　initiatory　impulse　and　start　him　on　a　new　road；　with　a