Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-07-02
THE WORLDS OPINION.

But let us ask wherefore reed this
dictate all Your actions, sanction our
every movement, and assume complete
control over all that we may do. Every
man is endowed with mind of greater
or lesser calibre, and in the exercise of
his reason If he waits ere he submits to
the world the secret workings of his
mind, in order that he may contemplate
to his full satisfaction the manner in
which it will receive his inspirations,
the inspirations will have lost much of
their beauty; their strength and
bloom, whereby the world might have
received some glorious benefit, will
have partially decayed, and the man
will disappear even in his own estima-
ton, as one who beholels some golden
opportunity for success in life vanish,
while hesitating in his course to consider
the propriety'of grasping it,
Every true genius has realized the
hour of inspiration, and felt the
throbbing of mighty conceptions-at
which the world would have been daz-
zled--would have wondered at their
beauty and brilliancy of design. But
while contemplating, or rather endeav-
oring to prophecy, what the opinion Of
the world might lie concerning those
inspirations, aud faltering for fear it
would be one of condemnation, the
brain has ceased to throb with their pull.
sation; their lie has silently passed
away; and the man has only to mourn
his own weakness--not to censure the
mystery that lies enshrouded in the
opinion of the world.
But why is this? Why does this
opinion Of the world inspire such fear
in our bosom2 Is it such a monster
that none dare count its praise or GEN.
sure2 Dare we reiterate, and herein
lies the whole mystery. If we do not
appear TO the world in some form OF
manner, how ale we to become cogniz-
ant OF its opinions? How are we to
judge of its cost, whether it be favorable
or censorious? There is altogether too
much illusion in cherishing this spirit
of cowardice; spirit that dare not face
the world, co-equal with it. We stand
in awe of an imaginary evil, and fear
fully tremble at our very thoughts, ere
they are barely uttered.
1t is most lamentable sight to be-
hold one, who we are we'll aware pos
sesses the endowments of true genius,
lack that inestimable trait-moral cour-
age and devoid of the bravery to place
before the gaze of the public the inspi-
rations of his soul, solely for fear that
the world may rot appreciate and IN
its condemnation wither all his hopes.
Rather than suffer the disgrace of hav-
ing his ideas censured by that world,
with the greatest imbecility of purpose,
he complacently hears his very soul cry
aloud with the burden of brilliant
thought, and obta ming no relief, ceases
Its prayer and sinks into state of in
action; watches the bright flashes of
his genius pale aud die away. We all
apparently seem to feel that if we only
gain applause Of the world, as hollow
hearted as it is, no greater joy is ours,
And, on the other hand, if we are so un-
fortunate as to incur its disapproval,
we could not be covered with more
damning disgrace. Oh, how wrong is
all this reasoning If we are conscious
of being blessed beautifully with the
divine gifts of the Creator what matters
it whether we obtain the worlds APP
proval or disapproval; neither can affect
our Inherent worth.
/ This opinion of the world is not SO
great after all 1t is only through our
great dread of it that it acquires its
false power and becomes notorious.
Would we only pursue our ends through
life, actuated by the present motives
and inspired by the hottest sentiments,
Of the worlds approval or
censure, this great bug-bear, if we may
so term it, would vanish. None of the
truly great men that we have known
ever courted or moved in dread of the
worlds opinion as to their actions and
determinations to grasp an immortal
tname. Did they falter and hesitate
for fear Of mourning scorn, censure and
abuse? All, no; they closed their ears
to all this, and listened only to the sweet
iwhisperings of their own souls.
Let us but convince ourselves, then,
that it is not in the power of the world
to rule our happiness in life, but that
the real secret or power lies in the
strength and courage of our own souls,
and we shall soon become true men
true to others as we'll as ourselves and
Isoon, ay very soon, cease to stand in
a we of what Is rnnarded as the morld's