character-第83章

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may　be　only　rejoicing　in　selfishness。　　Seclusion　may　indicate

contempt　for　others；　though　more　usually　it　means　indolence；

cowardice；　or　self…indulgence。　　To　every　human　being　belongs　his

fair　share　of　manful　toil　and　human　duty；　and　it　cannot　be　shirked

without　loss　to　the　individual　himself；　as　well　as　to　the

community　to　which　he　belongs。　　It　is　only　by　mixing　in　the　daily

life　of　the　world；　and　taking　part　in　its　affairs；　that　practical

knowledge　can　be　acquired；　and　wisdom　learnt。　　It　is　there　that　we

find　our　chief　sphere　of　duty；　that　we　learn　the　discipline　of

work；　and　that　we　educate　ourselves　in　that　patience；　diligence；

and　endurance　which　shape　and　consolidate　the　character。　　There　we

encounter　the　difficulties；　trials；　and　temptations　which；

according　as　we　deal　with　them；　give　a　colour　to　our　entire　after…

life；　and　there；　too；　we　become　subject　to　the　great　discipline　of

suffering；　from　which　we　learn　far　more　than　from　the　safe

seclusion　of　the　study　or　the　cloister。



Contact　with　others　is　also　requisite　to　enable　a　man　to　know

himself。　　It　is　only　by　mixing　freely　in　the　world　that　one　can

form　a　proper　estimate　of　his　own　capacity。　　Without　such

experience；　one　is　apt　to　become　conceited；　puffed…up；　and

arrogant；　at　all　events；　he　will　remain　ignorant　of　himself；

though　he　may　heretofore　have　enjoyed　no　other　company。



Swift　once　said：　〃It　is　an　uncontroverted　truth；　that　no　man　ever

made　an　ill…figure　who　understood　his　own　talents；　nor　a　good　one

who　mistook　them。〃　　Many　persons；　however；　are　readier　to　take

measure　of　the　capacity　of　others　than　of　themselves。　　〃Bring　him

to　me；〃　said　a　certain　Dr。　Tronchin；　of　Geneva；　speaking　of

Rousseau〃Bring　him　to　me；　that　I　may　see　whether　he　has　got

anything　in　him！〃the　probability　being　that　Rousseau；　who　knew

himself　better；　was　much　more　likely　to　take　measure　of　Tronchin

than　Tronchin　was　to　take　measure　of　him。



A　due　amount　of　self…knowledge　is；　therefore；　necessary　for　those

who　would　BE　anything　or　DO　anything　in　the　world。　　It　is　also　one

of　the　first　essentials　to　the　formation　of　distinct　personal

convictions。　　Frederic　Perthes　once　said　to　a　young　friend：　〃You

know　only　too　well　what　you　CAN　do；　but　till　you　have　learned　what

you　CANNOT　do；　you　will　neither　accomplish　anything　of　moment；　nor

know　inward　peace。〃



Any　one　who　would　profit　by　experience　will　never　be　above　asking

for　help。　　He　who　thinks　himself　already　too　wise　to　learn　of

others；　will　never　succeed　in　doing　anything　either　good　or　great。

We　have　to　keep　our　minds　and　hearts　open；　and　never　be　ashamed　to

learn；　with　the　assistance　of　those　who　are　wiser　and　more

experienced　than　ourselves。



The　man　made　wise　by　experience　endeavours　to　judge　correctly　of

the　thugs　which　come　under　his　observation；　and　form　the　subject

of　his　daily　life。　　What　we　call　common　sense　is；　for　the　most

part；　but　the　result　of　common　experience　wisely　improved。　　Nor　is

great　ability　necessary　to　acquire　it；　so　much　as　patience；

accuracy；　and　watchfulness。　　Hazlitt　thought　the　most　sensible

people　to　be　met　with　are　intelligent　men　of　business　and　of　the

world；　who　argue　from　what　they　see　and　know；　instead　of　spinning

cobweb　distinctions　of　what　things　ought　to　be。



For　the　same　reason；　women　often　display　more　good　sense　than　men；

having　fewer　pretensions；　and　judging　of　things　naturally；　by　the

involuntary　impression　they　make　on　the　mind。　　Their　intuitive

powers　are　quicker；　their　perceptions　more　acute；　their　sympathies

more　lively；　and　their　manners　more　adaptive　to　particular　ends。

Hence　their　greater　tact　as　displayed　in　the　management　of　others；

women　of　apparently　slender　intellectual　powers　often　contriving

to　control　and　regulate　the　conduct　of　men　of　even　the　most

impracticable　nature。　　Pope　paid　a　high　compliment　to　the

tact　and　good　sense　of　Mary；　Queen　of　William　III。；　when

he　described　her　as　possessing；　not　a　science；　but　（what　was

worth　all　else）　prudence。



The　whole　of　life　may　be　regarded　as　a　great　school　of　experience；

in　which　men　and　women　are　the　pupils。　　As　in　a　school；　many　of

the　lessons　learnt　there　must　needs　be　taken　on　trust。　We　may　not

understand　them；　and　may　possibly　think　it　hard　that　we　have　to

learn　them；　especially　where　the　teachers　are　trials；　sorrows；

temptations；　and　difficulties；　and　yet　we　must　not　only　accept

their　lessons；　but　recognise　them　as　being　divinely　appointed。



To　what　extent　have　the　pupils　profited　by　their　experience　in　the

school　of　life？　　What　advantage　have　they　taken　of　their

opportunities　for　learning？　　What　have　they　gained　in　discipline

of　heart　and　mind？how　much　in　growth　of　wisdom；　courage；　self…

control？　　Have　they　preserved　their　integrity　amidst　prosperity；

and　enjoyed　life　in　temperance　and　moderation？　　Or；　has　life　been

with　them　a　mere　feast　of　selfishness；　without　care　or　thought　for

others？　　What　have　they　learnt　from　trial　and　adversity？　　Have

they　learnt　patience；　submission；　and　trust　in　God？or　have　they

learnt　nothing　but　impatience；　querulousness；　and　discontent？



The　results　of　experience　are；　of　course；　only　to　be　achieved　by

living；　and　living　is　a　question　of　time。　　The　man　of　experience

learns　to　rely　upon　Time　as　his　helper。　　〃Time　and　I　against　any

two；〃　was　a　maxim　of　Cardinal　Mazarin。　　Time　has　been　described　as

a　beautifier　and　as　a　consoler；　but　it　is　also　a　teacher。　　It　is

the　food　of　experience；　the　soil　of　wisdom。　　It　may　be　the　friend

or　the　enemy　of　youth；　and　Time　will　sit　beside　the　old　as　a

consoler　or　as　a　tormentor；　according　as　it　has　been　used　or

misused；　and　the　past　life　has　been　well　or　ill　spent。



Time；〃　says　George　Herbert；　〃is　the　rider　that　breaks　youth。〃　　To

the　young；　how　bright　the　new　world　looks！how　full　of　novelty；

of　enjoyment；　of　pleasure！　　But　as　years　pass；　we　find　the　world

to　be　a　place　of　sorrow　as　well　as　of　joy。　　As　we　proceed　through

life；　many　dark　vistas　open　upon　usof　toil；　suffering；

difficulty；　perhaps　misfortune　and　failure。　　Happy　they　who　can

pass　through　and　amidst　such　trials　with　a　firm　mind　and　pure

heart；　encountering　trials　with　cheerfulness；　and　standing　erect

beneath　even　the　heaviest　burden！



A　little　youthful　ardour　is　a　great　help　in　life；　and　is　useful　as

an　energetic　motive　power。　　It　is　gradually　cooled　down　by　Time；

no　matter　how　glowing　it　has　been；　while　it　is　trained　and　subdued

by　experience。　　But　it　is　a　healthy　and　hopeful　indication　of

character；to　be　encouraged　in　a　right　direction；　and　not　to　be

sneered　down　and　repressed。　　It　is　a　sign　of　a　vigorous　unselfish

nature；　as　egotism　is　of　a　narrow　and　selfish　one；　and　to　begin

life　with　egotism　and　self…sufficiency　is　fatal　to　all　breadth　and

vigour　of　character。　　Life；　in　such　a　case；　would　be　like　a　year

in　which　there　was　no　spring。　　Without　a　generous　seedtime；　there

will　be　an　unflowering　summer　and　an　unproductive　harvest。　　And

youth　is　the　springtime　of　life；　in　which；　if　there　be　not　a　fair

share　of　enthusiasm；　little　will　be　attempted；　and　still　less

done。　　It　also　considerably　helps　the　working　quality；　inspiring

confidence　and　hope；　and　carrying　one　through　the　dry　details　of

business　and　duty　with　cheerfulness　and　joy。



〃It　is　the　due　admixture　of　romance　and　reality；〃　said　Sir　Henry

Lawrence；　〃that　best　carries　a　man　through　life。。。　　The　quality　of

romance　or　enthusiasm　is　to　be　valued　as　an　energy　imparted　to　the

human　mind　to　prompt　and　sustain　its　noblest　efforts。〃　　Sir　Henry

always　urged　upon　young　men；　not　that　they　should　repress

enthusiasm；　but　sedulously　cultivate　and　direct　the　feeling；　as

one　implanted　for　wise　and　noble　purposes。　　〃When　the　two

faculties　of　romance　and　reality；〃　he　said；　〃are　duly　blended；

reality　pursues　a　straight　rough　path　to　a　desirable　and

practicable　result；　while　romance　beguiles　the　road　by　pointing

out　its　beautiesby　bestowing　a　deep　and　practical　conviction