The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-10-30
CHARACTER CONNOISSEURS.
Saturday Review.

CHARACTER CONNOISSEURS.
Saturday Review.
lhc vulgar tendency to simulate a
knowledge about things where the rcUui-
site conditions of accurate information
are clearly wanting, has ever been a
theme for philosophic satire. 1t is the
recognition of this tendency which has led
the thinking few to dcspise the opinion of
the many as 4 spurious and counterfeit
kind of recognition. From Plato, who
distinctly excluded mere opinion from the
category of certain knowledge, to the mod
crn ldcalist, who pays no heed TO the
strongest assurances of common sense.
philosophers have made light of prevail
ing convictions, on the ground that they
arc formed in haste, and with no due ap
probation of the conditions of Il rational
certainty. Not only So but science itself,
which might be supposed to maintain a
more amicablc attitude toward prevailing
belief, has long since learnt to initiate
philosophy in it's contempt for vulgar
ideas. and a scientific lecture would now
be deemed wanting in spirit and point if
it failed to illustrate, by some startling
example, the wide opposition between the
habltual differences of common minds and
the verified conclusions of the savant.
Nowhere, perhaps, does popular belief
exhibit its hastincss and inatlcquacy more
conspicuously than in the readiness of
most persons to pronounce an opinion re-
specting the characters and motives of
others The confidence with which many
man and woman will talk about the de-
slres and habits OF comparatively new
&c % 3, f;h, l,n 4
ness Of mankind to seem wise. There arc
many whose modcsty and good sense
would prevent their giving an opinion on
any point of scientific knowledge or
aesthetic appreciation, who, nevertheless,
feel no hesitation in passing Judgment
respecting matters of conduct, of which
their knowledge is infinitcsimal. Num-
bers of people, who do not in the least
seem to be ashamed of ignorance respect
ing most matters Of discussion, are quite
sensitive as to their reputation for knowl-
edge, with respect to the ntricacics of
human character. When, for example,
there is an addition to the society of a
small town, through the arrival of new
family, there is the greatest impaticncc
to have definite and fixed opinion re-
spccting the idiosyncrases of the new
comcrs. There will certainly be more
than one knowing person whose supposed
Inickness OF perception will at once cna-
bile them, satisfactorily to themselves, to
define and characterize the man or
woman about whom curiosity i, natur-
ally aroused. 1t is curious, too to no.
ticc the readiness of others to accord to
these persons the special faculty for intui-
ton which they claim for themselves. 1t
has often been remarked, that the first
condition of winning the confidence of
others, is to display Il fair amount Of self
confidence, and this; truth il fully illus
tratcd i'll the case of the people whom we
are now considering. When lady gives
out among her acquaintance that she is
an expert i'll matters ofcharactcr and dis
position, she speedily gains an cnvablc
reputation for this kind of prcscicncc. If
there is any new character to be dcci-
phercd about which there hangs Il GER
tain mystery, she is the authority to
whom all repair, in order to acquire def
mite information. If a scandal is lust
terminating, and everybody is on tiptoc
| respecting it's real nature and results, it
is this connoisscur who is rcsortcd to for
a final solution of the problem. In this
way people are sustained in the pleasing
belief that they possess some easy avenue
to the minds and hearts Of their fellows.
thanks to which they are enabled to dis
pcnse with the tardy methods of observa-
tion, comparis,n and analysis. and to read
q new character as confidently az an un-
| folded letter.
Yet it does not call for any remarka-
J bic power Of reflection to see that this
intuitive kind Of knowledge of Others
must be very dclusvc. For, first OF all
human character is an exceedingly com
plex and variable thing, and can not be
known except after patient attention
The facial perusal of character, OF which
we now speak, always involves two infer.
cnccs, either of which may be mistaken
one. In the first place, the sclf-stylcd
observer argues, that certain things which
have held good of other people will hold
good OF the new character, and since il i.
exceedingly easy to mistake Il quality q
a certain order Of minds for universe
attribute of mankind, there is always .
chance of a wrong induction. In thcncxt
place, the observer is compelled to Judge
: the whole Of q character from Il very few
/. data; and here again there is ample room
or error in reasoning that, because on.
| felt or acted so and so to-day, this mus
be his characteristic mode of feeling O.
. acting. In other words, human nature il
too variable, both as whole and With,
f the limits of Il single individual. to allow
i, Of thcsrapid kind Of provision OF; whici
I've are speaking