The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-08-15
MISTAKES IN CHARACTER.

MISTAKES IN CHARACTER.
There can be no doubt that a great
many of the actions which we take to DC
iniallible signs Of the character OF the per-
son who does them, are, in fact, not inial- r
lble at all. This is only another way .,
putting q truth which few people "ouiu
care to deny, that few characters arc en-
tirelv consistent and complete In all theli
parts. Wise people have weak places
and foolish people have often acutehe s
enough to feign one or two OF the superb
cial airs and attributes OF WISDOM. De
Rctz instantly marked Chigi as having
small mind from the moment that he told
him that he had written with the same pen
for three years, and that it was capital
pen still. This proved . sagacious Judg-
ment. When Chigi became Pope, it was
truly said Of him that he was naor'nntS m
minimis and mini1nus IN marimis, just the
kind Of person who would have con-
ceit about his pen. Still, the mere fact
on which De RetZ founded q judgment
which circumstances afterwards Justliled
was not in itself q perfectly adequate pa
sis for such judgment.
A man might amuse himself by taking
excessive care of his pen, and might find
sincere satisfaction in the thought that the
pen had lasted for three years, and still
was q good pen, without necessarily BENG
a triflcr and an ass. We continually lind
that men Of subtle and vigorous intellects,
constantly exercised in important affairs,
delight in being able to think or talk about
small things, and have an interest IN what
to prigs and pedants appear disgustingly
frivolous concerns. 1t is not always very
pleasant to meet great man in one OF his
leisure moments. We expect some out
ward and visible sign Of his greatness that
he will talk well and say fine things and
disclose to us all that lies next his heart.
We forget that he has been thinking or
writing fine things all day, and that he has
had quite enough of what lies next his heart
to be only too happy to forget it for awhile.
The poet is only too glad to escape from the
ideas which have mastered him for hours
and days and weeks. The philosopher
who has been the slave Of his books and
his trains Of thought is charmed to mix
with people who don't read and don't know
exactly what train of thought means.
The statesman who has been busted in al
| fairs and dispatches, and squabblcs among
his colleagues, and so forth, thinks himself
in Paradise when he can expatiate upon
horses, or crops, or the opera. Persons
who do not know what it is to have an ur-
gent and serious interest in their minds are
extremely vexed and disappointed when
they find prominent man unwilling to eX-
haust himself by "tumbling" for their
pleasure and bchoof. They are very often
ready to avow that his prominence is alto
gether unmcrited, and that, in spite OF
everything to the contrary, he is at bot
tom a thoroughly poor creature. Its GER
tainly true that man may attain proml-
hence by virtue of charlatanry, and there
fore these cXacting persons may now and
then be right in their disparagcment OF
people with 4 reputation. But 1t IS Vio-
| lent mistake to assume that man is be-
meath his reputation just because he de-
clnes to show Oil or talk up to it when
ever anybody chooses to wind him up
as though he were some cunningly con-
structed machine. Talleyrand was as jul.
dicious as usual when he replied to the
impcrtinent visitor who wanted to involve
him in conversation upon affairs OF
| State: "Pardon me, sir; | never talk
about what l understand" Wise mel
often follow his example. 1T is to be de
plorcd that il does not become more general
Society would be ever so much more en-
joyablc if people would not insist upor
airing their SpccialtieS; and, as q rule,
man with sincere respect for his own spe
ciality, and honest knowledge Of it, is the
last person in the world to thrust it upor
those who are not competent TO under
stand or measure it. He is much more
willing to discourse upon his pen, like Car
dinal Chigi, or his ink-pot, or the kind o
which these are the humble instruments o
fixing and conveying to the public. Any
body can understand and appreciate tn,
qualities Of pen which has proved goot
and scrviceable pen for three whole years
Provided the owner of such an implemcn
does not carry his demand for our enthu
siasm on the subject too far, he could no
choose better kind OF subject for ligh
conversation after days work. 1t is ranl
ingratitudc to mark such q man out a.
having a small mind.
A frequent source Of misiudgment o
character is an intolerance Of paradox
We declare man to be fool if he say:
things which sound absurd or perverSe
without taking the trouble TO think whether
he means himself to be taken to the very
letter Of what he says. In England, where
we are a sober and rather Stolid race in
many things, this injustice istoo prevalent
And it does us good deal Of harm. In a
certain quantity paradox is an invaluable
element in intellectual life. 1t places a
truth or falSehood before the mind in a
dress which wildly attracts our attention.
If man believes his own paradoXes, he
may be either person of extraordinary
genius and insight, Or shallow fool. Pro-
badly he is the latter, because, without rea-
son shown to the contrary, we are justified
in assuming Of anybody that he or she be-
longs to the majority. AS rule, however,
| he who has the wit to PROFOUND paradox
has also wit enough to keep him from be-
| lieving that it contains all that need be
said on the matter to which it relates.
Those who are habitually paradoxical are
bores, because immoderate addiction to
this mode of stating things is almost al
ways atfectation, and not the expression Of
a genuine, if temporary, mode of looking
at things. The main object in the world is
to keep peoples minds alive and awake,
and to effect this nothing is more potent
than to offer them statement which fretS
their common sense. Thus to irritate and
stir up common sense is the characteristic