The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-07
PLEASANT PEOPLE.

What boon to all his friends and &C.
quaintances pleasant person is It may
be hard to define pleasantness, but we find
no difficulty in recognizing it when we
meet with it, Pleasant people are not al
ways by any means the most admirable
OF mankind, nor the most interesting; for
it often happens that the qualities in
man which are worthiest of esteem are.
for lack OF other modifying elements, the
very ones which make against his agree
sbleness as companion; and person
who does not impress us as particularly
pleasant may nevertheless interest us
very much by the display of unusual
mental or moral characteristics, or from
completely of nature which seems to
offer itself as an enigma we are curious
to solve. Pleasant people may not even
be the most truly lovable, but they are
ikable; we perhaps have no desire to
make friends with them in the deeper
sense of friendship, but we are glad
when we meet them, and enjoy ourselves
formed, though slight, is real one, and
l believe that we should all do well to
remember, in the interest of our closer
friendships, the attractive and cohesive
force of mere pleasantness. The high
est virtues and offices of friendship we
are not called on to exercise every day,
and in familiar intercourse we have not
less, but rather the more, need of making
ourselves pleasant, because of the times
when our friends will have to answer
our drafts on their patience and sympa-
thy.
II we question what it ia that goes to
constitute man or woman pleasant,
it appears to be a result of both tenn
permanent and character. It is hardly
necessary to say that these are not the
same thing, and yet they are not dis
tinguished in common thought and
speech as clearly as they might be
Without attempting any close analysis,
we may perhaps say that temperament
is certain combination of elements
given us at birth, while character is an
other set OF powers and dispositions.
slowly acquired and grown in us; for
the first, nature is responsible; our pa
rents and ourselves for the second.
1t seems easiest to describe pleasant
person by negatives, although assuredly
his pleasantness affects us as most pos
tive quality. To begin with, such
person must not be too much "shut up
in his own individuality" to use the
phrase of an Er gIish writer. That is
he must not be very reserved and con-
centrated in his emotions and affections.
but have certain expansiveness of nat
ure and openness of manner. He must
not be too fastidious, but able to take
people for what they are, and what they
are worth to him for the passing mo-
ment and the needs OF the social hour.
He must not be OF too intense nature.
nor so preoccupied with the serious as
poets and duties of life that he is unable
to put them aside temporarily, and lend
himself to lighter thoughts and lighter
people. One OF the pleasantest men /
ever met was one of the most hard work-
ing, devoted to a dezen good causes
and public interests beside his personal
and professional ones. None of these
were made a bore to others, and his
equsble and kindly disposition, his readi-
ness to enter into other persons ideas,
his interest in literature and art as we'll
as weightier matters of politics and
science. made him able to please and be
pleased by men and woman of the most
diverse sorts. 1t has sometimes struck
me torcibly with respect to such man,
How pleasant he must be to himself, =
how comfortable to live with every day
April Atlantic.