The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1866-08-23

Individuality.

HNI bilC oaChhOH ctaHUufu.
Individuality.
Human society presents the phenom.
enon OF an aggregation of individual.
cemented by common, general princi.
pies OF thought, religion, convenience.
and happiness. In this great aggrega,
ton thousands blend their distinctive
characters Thousands come into the
world, and never seem to look around
and to choose a direction Of life and
thought, but go as the current of human
events and customs lead them. They
loose their individuality Gas the term is
popularity useO in the crowd. Their
characters have very much the appear
ance OF compounds Of precedent modi-
fed by immediate associations. They
assimilate without effort whatever is
within their reach Their characters.
like the chameleon, take their hue from
surrounding objects But there are
those who, in greater or less degree.
preserve diStinctuess of character.
They have certain lawful independence
Of society. They test rules. They
thing for themselves. They accept the
thoughts Of others, but they subject
them to a 8leiftal process Of their own
Whaterer they learn becomes asaq,art
Of themselves Tliesaoriginate IDEAS
that is, ghey combine eemsats of
Thought, 50 asm eBea 70 'pfodGee new
ideas. 4aThese instances are sufiieientto
indicate Whist we mean by the terthsaeli-
HduaEB. 1t is manifested in various
degrees. No theory of life is perfected
without consideration in some form OF
individuality: for we are not to con-
slider man as a mere machine, or a crea-
ture Of instinct Or imitation alone.
When we desire to read a man we
eliminate him from the mass Of mankind
if we can; if we can not, we confess
that we can not make much out of him.
Our conception Of him is indistnct.
lie is unit in the flesh; but we search
almost in vain for that which we call in.
dlvlduality: of course he possesses it in
some kind and degree, but we do not
perceive it.
individuality and eccentrieity of char
acter are both popular terms; and they
are sometimes confused, sometimes used |
A man of clearly
marked individuality is more or less &C.
centric. The latter is not so easily re-
duclble to rule as the former. Individ- |
uality is the sum Of ones character, ec-
centricity is kind Of designation we
use Of an anomalous character.
We may imagine an illustration fin
in the person of the first man
hat ever lived on the earth. lie opened
lis eyes and looked upon the earth
without the intervention of anybody's
pectacles. He thought for himself;
or he had no other human being to
hink for him He formed his own no.
ions of things, and gave them al,pro1ri-
tc names. His ideas were fresh and
riginal. He trusted, no doubt, great
Ieal to his own experience-he was a
hild of nature. Now, though it is i'm
ossible for any man, following the first,
o be totally unlike him-for society,
nd similarity of thought and feeling,
4 many respects, began as soon as there
7ere more than one human being-yel,
1 many respects, each man thinks and
cts as if he were the only one in all the
ord; in the different degrees in which
lis is done, it is called individuality.
here are thousands scarcely distin-
from the mass. There are
Iher thousands who think and act too
Iuch in defiance Of the experience of
,hers. And there are others still who
resent an agreeable distinctiveness of 6
laracter They are noticeable for it;
ct they do not offend. r {,
In individuality is one Of the elements !,
: secrets Of what the world calls great :, -
9ss. 1t is the power of standing forth Il
stinct in word, thought, and deed. 1t
ay be common cause which the great
an espouses; millions may be interest "
in it, and help it on; but his mind L
I'd heart grasp its logic and its SEN l
nents in such manner as to make G.
run his own course. lie throws hm- "
+ into every cause in which he ehga- "
IS. So far as he, himself, is concern iC
!, he espouses it "in the solitude of his b
vn originality" through his own per- II
nal convictions, as if he needed not tC
c multitudes that throng about him NJ
vocating the same.
1t is pleasant to notice the effect of
Early marked individuality in the lives te
men-or, in other words, to observe ht
at man Is, and acts, himself in all the VI
ried circumstances in which he is to
iced. lie has certain popularity of al
ought, feeling, and expression by
lich he is known; this, his indiyidu-
ty is recognized through his piGty- W
finds voice when he prays; it is rec ell
nized when he expresses his thoughts hi
it is called his style. 1t is recognized he
en- in his briefest expressions. 1t is yC