Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1875-10-23

never occurs to the confident connolsseur
of phvsiognomv, who fondly imagines
that every moral peculiarity is distinctly
indicated by some one form OF facial
structure or movement. In the second
place. il should be remembered that all
of us have certain power of dlsslmula-
ton. and most of us are accustomed To
put some kind of watch on our words and
actions. This is especially the case when
we have to confront new observer. we
do not care. in most instances, to be
conned too easily by our fellows Nearly
everybody is accustomed to some meas
ure of reticence before strangers, while
.L-Axe.ara sfazr who, from certain KIND
of rsSit Ind forc.'
wont even to misreau casual observers
respecting their real aims and sentiments.
Thus it happt hs that a person who Is
ready at a glance to classify any new
variety of character, runs the risk OF ac-
cepting, az an essential ingredient of the
phenomenon, something which IS wholly
adventitious. 1t may be said, of course,
that the instances we have selected are
exceptional ones, that the great majority
of people are both too much alike and
too transparent in their words and actions
noter of mems natures and ways. That
there is n certain force in this considera-
tion m9y be readily granted. AT the
same time, this fact does not alter the
truth of Our contention, that in every
hasty judgment Of character, there Is al
ways an element of risk which forbids
the process being described as an lntul-
tive one. So, too, we may concede that
certain few possess an indisputable fac
ulty of quick perception of the complex
titles of human character. Yet, when we
come TO analyze this faculty, we find
that it resolves itself into a happy skill
in conjecture, which no doubt includes
certain range of past observation as well
AS a qnickness of imaginative insight into
other persons feelings, but which, never
theless. always remains, what Plato
wodld have called an impirical knack,
wholly destitute of the exact certainty of
scientific inference. Those who see in
this coniectural skill mysterious power
of intuition, are dazzled by the instances
of correct prediction which they happen
TO have witnessed, and fail to take account
of the errors to which this process is GER
tain to lead.
1t would probably he an interesting in
quiry to trace out the various impulses of
| human nature, which serve to sustain and
| foster this impatience in the observation
of Others Some of the principal intiu-
ences at work, will readily suggest them
selves to a thoughtful mind. 1t isobvious
that the mere qualification of pride which
attends all consciousness of knowledge,
real orimaginary, will not account for the
peculiar force of this tendency. That is
to say. though it is true that the motive
of vafiitv leads men TO imagine that they
are conversant With Inamy matters OF
(which they are, in reality, profoundly ig-
norant, it does not explain why they
should be especially liable to assume this
appearance of intelligence with respect TO
their fellows. 1t is evident that these
special influences must be looked for In
the peculiarities of the relations which
people hold to one another. The follow
ing suggestions may, perhaps, roughly In
dicate the character of these influences.
First of all, it is manifestly of practical
importance to everybody to gain some
thing like a definite opinion respecting
those whom he has to meet in social inter
! course. Ii, as some philosophers contend
the first motive of all inquiry is the neec
of a definite basis for action, we may un
derstand how it is that most people arr
so eager TO come to decision respecting
the dispositions of their acquaintance
Nothing is More embarrassing or annoy
6 ing, for example, to Observation-Disclosures
lady, than TO have to do with persol
, whose tastes and ideas are shrouded II
!, : mystery. BY the very painfulness OF tn
situation. she is driven to frame some ny
pothesis as to the persons real character
however little ground she may have 10
plausible conjecture. In this way, peopl
: come to delude themselves that they hav
u ascertained a mains real character, whe
: they have simply been driven by the ii
conveniences of conscious ignorance {
construct purely hypothetical conceI
ton with regard to the object. Anothe
> influence at work in these cases is torI
= of the primitive fetishistic impulse to II
!. terpret everything outside ones own col
- scious life i'm terms of the same. III
e same tendency which accounts for tn
q savage projecting his own feelings and il
: tention into tree or river accounts Il
people transferring their own modes
- thought and sentiment to every new min
: which come under their notice. 1t
quite curious TO remark the lnve
= eracy of this habit, even after ample o
&c portunity has been given for discoverir
:: the endless diversities of individual tel
: perament. Possibly there is charm
- many persons in the spectacle OF a mil
G retaining up to mature years the mai
=. y belief that all the rest of the world mu
~ feel and act precisely as it does, and ii
y. aesthetic consideration may serve st
-. further to confirm the habit. People a
- encouraged in the cuftlSdtion Of Il
ne m mode of Regarding Others, by the refit
ID ton thatit is taken to indicate sing
4SiaS innocence of nature, and touchl
- unfitness to deal with the harsh intri'
is cies and contradictions of human char;
va ter. However this may be, the habit dc
hu prevail i'm MANY minds, and is fruit
III source of hasty inference and delusl
instrumentation. May not one see ILL
Na trations of this tendency in the great
his bilitv of both men and women to delu
ers themselves with respect to the charact
all, which they choose for the matrimon
M relation? 1t is not only the I'M ocen. {
be which commits this error, by fondly
on. aoining in the absence of evidence, 4
ich her lover must necessarily share her o
fer pure thoughts; the highly cultivated m
Ken too. may fall into it, by taking it
led granted that the young woman wh
ich he selects as his most intimate compan
old feel the same high aspirations that
I Is himself feels.
Y of
rsal The other influences which appear
S a favour this impatience of belief with
ext spect to the characters of Others are
dge cial emotional forces. The operation
few feeling IN sustaining assurance G
Dom when there is the minimum of evid'
one has been favorite theme ofphilosopf
must There are two modes of this operat
q or according as the feeling predispose
re is belief in any shape or favors some
thin ticular variety of conviction. Bot
How these modes may be illustrated in
hich class of beliefs of which we are
speaking. An example of the fir
=, given us in the action of a love of p
'h;eb on our observation of others eharac
~ i A readiness in unravelling the threa
com human sentiment and purpose ha
,xavs heen looked on as a ground for