Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-04-23
FALSE SHAME.

liz IS lulDOooAHAS
point at which sensitiveness loses itself
in what we call false shame. They
blend into each other, and although
50 different in their extremes, they
lose their distinctiycness as they APP
proach. There may be people who are
exempt from false shame, through a
dullness Of feeling which renders them
Indifferent to the opinions Of Others.
But In highly civilized communities
where constant friction Is ever polish
ing social intercourse, it Is the oppo-
site extreme Of oyer+sensitiveness
which involves so much danger, es-
pecially to the young and inexperi-
enced. There are few who are not at
times the victims Of fabe shame. We
are ashamed of our plain apparel; Of
our frugal table ; Of our poor relations;
of our meagre incomes; Of our small
business-of thousand things, in fact
which In strict eason ought to create
no such feeling. Too many are even
ashamed Of doing right, and will stifle
the voice Of conscience sooner than
brave the sheer Of an unprincipled
companion. Probably the largest part
of the extravaganza and immortality Of
the day, may be traced to this source.
1t Is not so much the love Of sin for
the sake of its qualifications, as the fear
of ridicule in refusing its allurements,
that causes so many Of our youth to
fall into its snares. False shame is es-
pecially a disease Of youth. The young,
from their difldence Of themselves,
and the exaggerated value they set
upon the opinions Of Others, are easily
betrayed into it. Years often correct
this exaggeration, and while humbling
us with a truer view Of our own insig-
~nilcance to others, also teach us to
place more value on our own self-re-
spect. Some, however, never learn
this lesson thoroughly, and are habitu-
ally s%ubservient to the supposed or
actual opinions Of their associates.
Such may frequently be found dwell
Ing morbidly upon their OWL disad-
yantages of birth, condition or appear
ance, and ~deprcciating their possessions
or their characters In a manner humili-
ating to themselves and painful to their
listeners. Whatever their other excel
lencies, II they lack the manliness
which puts this false shame to flight,
they have failed to reap the best re-
suits Of maturity. Everyone should
strive to escape from this thraldom. 1t
is confusing to the judgment, for a
mans own wisest views are liable to
be overthrown by the opinions Of infe-
rior minds. It Is a slavery which alb
jectly offers reverence irrespective Of
worth. It's victim practically accepts
any tribunal other than that Of his own
reason and conscience. 1t takes from
him that selfreliance, without which
no real manliness can be attained, and
places in its stead a feeble, vascillating
Difference to an uncertain an often false
standard. 1t even defeats Its own end,
for as nothing Is despised more than
cowardice, or ~respeossd more than
courageous self-reliance, 80 the world
denies approval to the timid suppliant
who yearns for the boon, while grant
ing it unasked to him who earnestly
and steadily pursues his course, indie,
pendent Of worldly smiles or frowns.
Shame isa beneficial aSenti in the mind,
when it comes as q natural consequence
and punishment Of evil-doing ; and he
who has ceased to blush even In secret
at the recollection Of his misdeeds, has
lost the chief hope Of Improvement.
The false shame which fears to be de-
tected in honest manual employment ;
which shrinks from exposing to the
world a necessary and honorable econ
omy; which bushes more deeply for n
shabby attire than for a mean action;
and which breads the sneer Of the
world more than the upbraidings Of
conscience-this false shame will prove
the ruin Of every one who suffers it to
influence his inner thoughts and his
outward life.