The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-06-28
The Advantages Of seIf-POssession.

~ SoiulueHoeo tnan Se1I-poSSesS1on,
says the Columbus (Ga. Enquirer
Sun. There is certain calm feeling
OF power that always attends posses
sion. On the contrary, when we are
struggling and hoping for what we
desire, we are eager, excited, and in
measure unstrung. When we OBJ
tain that of which we have been in
pursuit, we become, as far as that one
thing goes, restful and assured. But
the power of sef-possession surpasses
everything of the kind. To feel quite
sure that we truly possess any single
power or faculty-that we have it I'M
der our control and can use it at our
pleasures source of great happi-
ness and peace of mind Those who
are fortunate enough to have this
sense of possession extended over
many of their faculties are to be
warmly congratulated.
Many persons of great abilities are
painfully lacking in seH-possession,
and others of very small powers are
rarely at a loss. 1t comes rather
through fair degree of self-knowl-
edge and practical exercise of those
abilities, great or small, which we do
possess. Our own experience shows
us this. Most of us are self-possessed
in at least one direction, and that we
shall find it to be the one in which we
have had the most constant practice
and the best opportunities of testing
ourselves. The mechanic or business
man, or artist or philosopher, may be
undecided, vacillating, constrained
and Ill at ease in general society OF in
political circles, or in a hundred
other situations, but in their respect
i've employments OF In matters closely
connected with them, they at once
assume calm and assured manner
that tells of their regained seH-pos-
session. The business partner who
has charge of mandatory will
sometimes lose all his self-possession
when obliged to attend to customer,
while the regular salesman will be
utterly COMPOUNDED if left to deal with
the operatives. One woman will be
cool, dignifed and assured in her
home, but timid and nervous in So
ciety; another is thoroughly self-pos-
sessed in the presence of strangers,
but trembles before her own servants.
One person hates to write letters, put
tug it off from day to day, afraid of
his own handwriting, or of the blum
ders he may commit, while in con-
versation he is ready, fluent and self
possessed Another writes easily,
without fear of Hesitation, but breads |
to open his lips in company. An in
telligent man of sixty years of age |
stood at one time stammering for five |
before a number of waiting |
people, when all he had occasion to |
say was eyes. His self possession |
had left him, and had taken with it |
almost the very power of utterance. |
Some persons are cool and self pos
sessed In moments of emergency;
when every one else is quivering with |
terror they know just what to do, and at |
once take command of the situation.
Others whose knowledge may be in |
no way inferior, lose all control of It |
in sudden exigencies. Most of the |
panics that occur in times of fire or
accident, and that sacrifice thousands |
Of lives, are due, not to ignorance,
but to the utter loss of self-possession
by thecrowd. Could each individual
obtain authority over himself, and do
what he actually knows to be the best
thing, the panic would cease, and the
chief danger would be over.
Much of this valuable quality is
gained by education in early years
md every child should be accustomed
o express himself freely and often,
both in speaking and writing and he