character-第39章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　sport　of　feeling　and　impulse。



〃In　the　supremacy　of　self…control；〃　says　Herbert　Spencer；

〃consists　one　of　the　perfections　of　the　ideal　man。　　Not　to　be

impulsivenot　to　be　spurred　hither　and　thither　by　each　desire

that　in　turn　comes　uppermostbut　to　be　self…restrained；　self…

balanced；　governed　by　the　joint　decision　of　the　feelings　in

council　assembled；　before　whom　every　action　shall　have　been　fully

debated　and　calmly　determinedthat　it　is　which　education；　moral

education　at　least；　strives　to　produce。〃　（1）



The　first　seminary　of　moral　discipline；　and　the　best；　as　we　have

already　shown；　is　the　home；　next　comes　the　school；　and　after　that

the　world；　the　great　school　of　practical　life。　　Each　is

preparatory　to　the　other；　and　what　the　man　or　woman　becomes；

depends　for　the　most　part　upon　what　has　gone　before。　　If　they　have

enjoyed　the　advantage　of　neither　the　home　nor　the　school；　but

have　been　allowed　to　grow　up　untrained；　untaught；　and

undisciplined；　then　woe　to　themselveswoe　to　the　society

of　which　they　form　part！



The　best…regulated　home　is　always　that　in　which　the　discipline　is

the　most　perfect；　and　yet　where　it　is　the　least　felt。　　Moral

discipline　acts　with　the　force　of　a　law　of　nature。　　Those　subject

to　it　yield　themselves　to　it　unconsciously；　and　though　it　shapes

and　forms　the　whole　character；　until　the　life　becomes　crystallized

in　habit；　the　influence　thus　exercised　is　for　the　most　part　unseen

and　almost　unfelt。



The　importance　of　strict　domestic　discipline　is　curiously

illustrated　by　a　fact　mentioned　in　Mrs。　Schimmelpenninck's

Memoirs；　to　the　following　effect：　that　a　lady　who；　with　her

husband；　had　inspected　most　of　the　lunatic　asylums　of　England　and

the　Continent；　found　the　most　numerous　class　of　patients　was

almost　always　composed　of　those　who　had　been　only　children；　and

whose　wills　had　therefore　rarely　been　thwarted　or　disciplined　in

early　life；　whilst　those　who　were　members　of　large　families；　and

who　had　been　trained　in　self…discipline；　were　far　less　frequent

victims　to　the　malady。



Although　the　moral　character　depends　in　a　great　degree　on

temperament　and　on　physical　health；　as　well　as　on　domestic　and

early　training　and　the　example　of　companions；　it　is　also　in　the

power　of　each　individual　to　regulate；　to　restrain；　and　to

discipline　it　by　watchful　and　persevering　self…control。　　A

competent　teacher　has　said　of　the　propensities　and　habits；　that

they　are　as　teachable　as　Latin　and　Greek；　while　they　are　much　more

essential　to　happiness。



Dr。　Johnson；　though　himself　constitutionally　prone　to　melancholy；

and　afflicted　by　it　as　few　have　been　from　his　earliest　years；　said

that　〃a　man's　being　in　a　good　or　bad　humour　very　much　depends　upon

his　will。〃　　We　may　train　ourselves　in　a　habit　of　patience　and

contentment　on　the　one　hand；　or　of　grumbling　and　discontent　on　the

other。　　We　may　accustom　ourselves　to　exaggerate　small　evils；　and

to　underestimate　great　blessings。　　We　may　even　become　the　victim

of　petty　miseries　by　giving　way　to　them。　　Thus；　we　may　educate

ourselves　in　a　happy　disposition；　as　well　as　in　a　morbid　one。

Indeed；　the　habit　of　viewing　things　cheerfully；　and　of　thinking

about　life　hopefully；　may　be　made　to　grow　up　in　us　like　any　other

habit。　（2）　　It　was　not　an　exaggerated　estimate　of　Dr。　Johnson　to

say；　that　the　habit　of　looking　at　the　best　side　of　any　event　is

worth　far　more　than　a　thousand　pounds　a　year。



Th　religious　man's　life　is　pervaded　by　rigid　self…discipline　and

self…restraint。　　He　is　to　be　sober　and　vigilant；　to　eschew　evil

and　do　good；　to　walk　in　the　spirit；　to　be　obedient　unto　death；　to

withstand　in　the　evil　day；　and　having　done　all；　to　stand；　to

wrestle　against　spiritual　wickedness；　and　against　the　rulers　of

the　darkness　of　this　world；　to　be　rooted　and　built　up　in　faith；

and　not　to　be　weary　of　well…doing；　for　in　due　season　he　shall

reap；　if　he　faint　not。



The　man　of　business　also　must　needs　be　subject　to　strict　rule　and

system。　　Business；　like　life；　is　managed　by　moral　leverage；

success　in　both　depending　in　no　small　degree　upon　that　regulation

of　temper　and　careful　self…discipline；　which　give　a　wise　man　not

only　a　command　over　himself；　but　over　others。　　Forbearance　and

self…control　smooth　the　road　of　life；　and　open　many　ways　which

would　otherwise　remain　closed。　　And　so　does　self…respect：　for　as

men　respect　themselves；　so　will　they　usually　respect　the

personality　of　others。



It　is　the　same　in　politics　as　in　business。　　Success　in　that　sphere

of　life　is　achieved　less　by　talent　than　by　temper；　less　by　genius

than　by　character。　　If　a　man　have　not　self…control；　he　will　lack

patience；　be　wanting　in　tact；　and　have　neither　the　power　of

governing　himself　nor　of　managing　others。　　When　the　quality　most

needed　in　a　Prime　Minister　was　the　subject　of　conversation　in　the

presence　of　Mr。　Pitt；　one　of　the　speakers　said　it　was　〃Eloquence；〃

another　said　it　was　〃Knowledge；〃　and　a　third　said　it　was　〃Toil；〃

〃No；〃　said　Pitt；　〃it　is　Patience！〃　And　patience　means　self…

control；　a　quality　in　which　he　himself　was　superb。　　His　friend

George　Rose　has　said　of　him　that　he　never　once　saw　Pitt　out　of

temper。　（3）　　Yet；　although　patience　is　usually　regarded　as　a

〃slow〃　virtue；　Pitt　combined　with　it　the　most　extraordinary

readiness；　vigour；　and　rapidity　of　thought　as　well　as　action。



It　is　by　patience　and　self…control　that　the　truly　heroic　character

is　perfected。　　These　were　among　the　most　prominent　characteristics

of　the　great　Hampden；　whose　noble　qualities　were　generously

acknowledged　even　by　his　political　enemies。　　Thus　Clarendon

described　him　as　a　man　of　rare　temper　and　modesty；　naturally

cheerful　and　vivacious；　and　above　all；　of　a　flowing　courtesy。　　He

was　kind　and　intrepid；　yet　gentle；　of　unblameable　conversation；

and　his　heart　glowed　with　love　to　all　men。　　He　was　not　a　man　of

many　words；　but；　being　of　unimpeachable　character；　every　word　he

uttered　carried　weight。　　〃No　man　had　ever　a　greater　power　over

himself。。。。　　He　was　very　temperate　in　diet；　and　a　supreme　governor

over　all　his　passions　and　affections；　and　he　had　thereby　great

power　over　other　men's。〃　　Sir　Philip　Warwick；　another　of　his

political　opponents；　incidentally　describes　his　great　influence　in

a　certain　debate：　〃We　had　catched　at　each　other's　locks；　and

sheathed　our　swords　in　each　other's　bowels；　had　not　the　sagacity

and　great　calmness　of　Mr。　Hampden；　by　a　short　speech；　prevented

it；　and　led　us　to　defer　our　angry　debate　until　the　next　morning。〃



A　strong　temper　is　not　necessarily　a　bad　temper。　　But　the　stronger

the　temper；　the　greater　is　the　need　of　self…discipline　and　self…

control。　　Dr。　Johnson　says　men　grow　better　as　they　grow　older；　and

improve　with　experience；　but　this　depends　upon　the　width；　and

depth；　and　generousness　of　their　nature。　　It　is　not　men's　faults

that　ruin　them　so　much　as　the　manner　in　which　they　conduct

themselves　after　the　faults　have　been　committed。　　The　wise　will

profit　by　the　suffering　they　cause；　and　eschew　them　for　the

future；　but　there　are　those　on　whom　experience　exerts　no　ripening

influence；　and　who　only　grow　narrower　and　bitterer　and　more

vicious　with　time。



What　is　called　strong　temper　in　a　young　man；　often　indicates　a

large　amount　of　unripe　energy；　which　will　expend　itself　in　useful

work　if　the　road　be　fairly　opened　to　it。　　It　is　said　of　Stephen

Gerard；　a　Frenchman；　who　pursued　a　remarkably　successful　career　in

the　United　States；　that　when　he　heard　of　a　clerk　with　a　strong

temper；　he　would　readily　take　him　into　his　employment；　and　set　him

to　work　in　a　room　by　himself；　Gerard　being　of　opinion　that　such

persons　were　the　best　workers；　and　that　their　energy　would　expend

itself　in　work　if　removed　from　the　temptation　to　quarrel。



Strong　temper　may　only　mean　a　strong　and　excitable　will。

Uncontrolled；　it　displays　itself　in　fitful　outbreaks　of　passion；

but　controlled　and　held　in　subjectionlike　steam　pent…up　within

the　organised　mechanism　of　a　ste