Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-12-19
THin-Skinned PeObte.

In speaking of skinned people, the
natural thing to do is TO pitch into them;
the certainty of being able, without much
exertion, to make them vince, is 4 sore
temptation. But our purpose in this brief
paper is to put in q mild plea in behalf of
a class of men and women who carry
their punishment with them, and whose
uansgression, after all. is matter of
nerves and not OF malicious intent. A
man is no more responsible for having =
sensitive nature than he is for having
bright red hair, or no hair at all. 1t is his
misfortune rather than his fault. II we
bring forward no stronger argument in
favor OF skinned people, it is because
we are afraid OF OVERRIDING the matter
and offending them They are most deli.
cato people to deal with-these sensitive
folk -inasmuch rs one does not know
when he IS smoothing their feathers the
wrong way. We may 90 on tor years
rasping all the tcnderest chords Of their
organization without once suspecting il.
We each OF Us can count among our &c.
quaintances dozen or 50 Of thin.skinncd
people, palpably and aggressiyely thin
skinned, but these by no means represent
the number of friends upon whose toes
we are forever unconsciously treading.-
1t would be n curious mathematical re-
Taxation to compute the number OF peo.
pie whose "feelingg' are inadvertently
hurt in the course of single year by one
man of average candor. The idle Jest
that was never meant to wound the care.
less question that had no sarcastic pur-
pose-the bit of advice that was given in
all kindiness-is shot off into the air and
is found months afterwards, like the poets
song (hough in an altogether different
sense) in the heart of friend. Thin
skinned people who don't hang out sig
nal-and it is the popularity of n certain
class that they wont-are very provoking.
1t is impossible not to offend them. They
smile upon you and 60 away your enc.
mics. Obviously sensitive people are
more easily managed, but it is question
if their friendship is worth the exquisite
and painful care necessary to retain it
TO be constantly on your guard lest you
brush against the exposed nerves. is 10
pay dear price for companionship. Yet
the thin-skinned people who frankly say
to you, Don't touch me there, l really
can't bear it," are greatly to be preferred
to those who make believe that they have
hides like the rhinoccrous, and hate you
for taking them at their word. And here
we have serious charge to urge against
sensitive people. Like women, they are
always least merciful to their own kind.
Sensitive people are as a rule sarcastic.
All great satirists have been thin-sknned
men. Not to multiply instances, take the
author of THE Dunciad," who threw ar.
rows like q giant and writhed under the
arrows of dwarfs. Every Lilliputian of
the time knew that his little needle would
find soft spot in Guliver The ability
TO say bitter things is almost always &C.
companied by morbid sensitiveness to
the bitter things of others. The most
scathing critics have been found wanting
in philosophy when they were themselves
reviewed.
To come back to our first reflection,
people, however trying TO
the patience of more healthy natures, are
greatly 10 be commiserated. Their sem
sitiveness is its own punishment. How
ever bravely they may bear it out, their
tender epidermis is a perpetual irritation
to them, like those penal horse hair shirts
which misguided mortals used to wear
and do now, for aught we know under
their ordinary vestments, in those dreary
old converts and monasterieS across the
water. When we think how much un.
necessary suffering is undergone By per-
verse thn.skinned people, we ale tempt
ed to express our sympathy in good round
terms-but that would, likely enough,
offend them.-Every Saturday