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

Pi'Nall III llllllN minus, ana Is !: fruitful
source of lasty Inference AM lcluSivc
miSc"nccption. May not one see illus
/ tratiun> OF this tendency in the great la-
'hilitv of both men an,l women to dcludc
themselves with respect to the characters
which they choose for the matrimonial
relation? 1t is not only the in. occn. girl
which commits this error. by iundlv i'm
aginin~ in the absence of evidence that
her lover must necessarily share her own
pure thoughts; the highly cultivated man
too may fall into it, by taking ii for
granted tha, the young woman whom
he ~clcctS;s- his most intimate companion
feel the same high aspiration, that he
himself feels
! The other influences which appear To
! favour this impn;icncr of belief with re-
spec; 10 the characters Of others are 1,c-
cial emotional forces The operation OF
feeling il sustaining assurance even
when there j. the minimum of evidence
has h"rn iHvorit" theme OF philosophers.
Thcrr are two mmlcS of this operation.
acc"rdn" ;,> tllc trrlm" prcdi-lo>cS to
belief III 'ny shape or t;lvur- some par
tlcular VI. ,ntv OF conviction. Both ui
these modes may be illustrated in tie /
class of beliefs of which we are now
Speaking. An example ui the first Is !
given IL in the action of :, love of power
on our observation Of others characters. |
y readiness in ilnravclling the threads OF /
human sentiment and purpose has all
Way been looked on ~ 81 ground for self:
graduation and for the admiration OF
others. \ man who thinks himself ca |
rablc OF divinin" in>tantancnu,lv an
others unsrokrm thoughts h,, not only ,
thr pleasing con ciullSnc-- of power !
which every sipI~>iri"n oi' Knowledge
brings with il. hi, also i gratifying feel ,
ing Of equality with this second person ,
That iS [" say. he thinks himself on Il :
level with this other in respect to thr( ,
knowledge of any thoughts or impulses ,
which may occur to him. Not only 50, ,
but the assumption OF this umni>cicnt =
insight into character will pretty Ger
"lnly inspire awe, il not dread in many i,
'thrr minds, So that the man or woman !,
who can make any rrctcn~iun~ to this :,
i:lr penetration will hr able tn Indulge ,
n the most delicious emotions Of power ;,
in! superiority. y uppo~ijion 50 in t
t'm,ciy gratifying :;> this must be will !;
pretty certainly hc secure from that !,
close scrutiny anl c'rrful vrric;ltion :;
which alone would prov" lis validity
The feelings which prcdi>posc men to
Il j,rjo,i a certain kind OF notion :,
the character OF Others are +
.:i',y 3" ,> % u, hs Awcl .eW hfrSuc,ii. "a
There is the desire for sympathy, which c
iS very strong in most minds, and which II
prompts Il person to anticipate that {
every new character will rcSpnnd i'll Il /;
kind Of grateful resonance to his indivi- I
dual sentiments Then there are The ,
impulses OF love and admiration which ,
prcdi+ln>r the mind To believe III human ,
goodness and render il optimistic III its
OF character. On the other ,
hand there are the les pleasing -enti- !:
mcnts Of di~lru-t hostility. and con ,
tempt, whirn sustain the conception |
that everybody i mean and lgnoblc till I
he has proved himself /" to tl!r contrary. i
These and other feelings alway:, dispose {
their lmS&csSoiS to form certain opinions |
les '"ctin~ any new character long before !
lhe. have the necessary foundation "r :
such opinions. To any one who will ,
give himself the trouble Of working out
the many and complicated influences
which tend to produce conviction re-
-pcctin" matters OF character, quite apart
from the force of evidence, il can no, be
surprising that peoples judgments on !
the ideas and motives Of others are often
50 crude and incXact. and 50 little de- F,
serving To hc called intuilion<