The St. Johns herald., 1890-12-25
Boring Into Character.

sure, often passes TOT a WlSe ana thoughtful scrutiny. It is that which probes the character of an individual and endeavors to gauge it. We all agree in condemning that curiosity which pries into a mans secret affairs, calculates his income and expenses, speculates on his family relations, and watches for material wherewith to gossip about him. But simply to analyze his character, to test his principles, to scrutinize his disposition, and from that to judge, and pronounce upon, his moral status, is often thought rather commendable than otherwise. Yet, unless there is an adequate reason for doing this, 1t Is but another form of inquisitiveness. It may be very necessary to discov- CT mans principles before placing him in position of trust; to reflect on his qualifications for any em- ployment, before offeringit to con sider the sources of cOngeniality, before admitting him to our inti- macy. Sometimes, too, 1t is need  tul for the cause of justice, to deter mine, as nearly as may be, the de- gree Responsibility which attaches to certain of mans actions. An even stronger reason for examining his character is the real desire of benefting him. Without some such knowledge, We can not tell what motives to appeal to, or what course to take, if we desire to eliminate a bad habit, to develop dormant virtue, or to help him in his own efforts to lead nobler life. Yet, apart from all these reasons, and others wtich may be equally cogent, there is vast deal of what has been called boring into character" for no purpose but to gratify an idle curiosity. There are people who would be ashamed of probing into a mans circumstances, finding out his personal secrets or his business arrangements, but who will, with out any necessity, and without any compunction, dissect the moral character of every chance acquaint- ance to the utmost of their ability. The only difference is that their in quisitiveness takes this line, instead of the other. It is, perhaps, less objectionable, as leading less to gossip, built is equally the working ot a purposeless and indefensible curiosity. Neither is this practice q mere harmless speculation, as so many claim. In the first place, if 1t is the truth about their neighbor that such persons desire to find, they usually fail, although they may fancy they are succeeding. There is nothing in the universe, as far as we know, so complex, so intricate, baffiing to investigation, as human character. Motives and tendencies are so mingled and blended that it is m possible to lay them olt in or
 der and take an account of them. Let any one honestly attempt so to treat his own, and he will at once feel his inadequacy. Yet how much more difficult to enterinto another's being, to detect his manifold pro- pensities and weigh their power, to count up and discriminate his quail
 ities, to estimate his temptations, to measure his responsibility. Even where the profoundest interests are involved, this is a task that may we'll daunt the wisest and the bold est, but where only curiosity seeks to be gratifed, who that is rational will attempt to sound such depths or to solve such problems? The fact is, that if we take people as we find them, welcoming all their good points, and passing over the others, and being kind and generous to all, we shall come much nearer to the truth about them than if we labor to make a critical analysis of minds and hearts, of which we can only