The morning call., 1891-01-05
PROBING INTO
ONES CHARACTER.
As q General Rule 1t Is an Un'
pleasant Piece of Business.
1,o,isitiveuess Into the Private Affairs Oh
Man or His Family Thing 10 nc
Condemned and Avoided.

There is one kind of inquisitiveness which,
instead of receiving censure. often passes
for n wise and thoughtful scrutiny. 1t is
that which probes the character Of an in
diyidual and endeavors to gauge it. We all
agree in condemning that curiosity when
prizes into mans secret affairs, calculates
his income and expenses. speculates Oh MS
fam lily relations, and watches 1or mate
rial wherewith 10 gossip ABOUT MN.
But simply to analyze his character,
TO test his principles, TO scrutlnHe
his disposition, and from that to judge,
and perhaps to pronounce upon. his
moral status, is often thought rather
commendable than otherwise, says the
Phiiadelphia Ledger. Yet, unless there is
an adequate reason for doing this, it is but
another form of inQuisitiyeness. 1t may be
very necessary to discover mans princl-
pies before placing him IN pt sltlon OF
trust; 10 reflect on his qualifications for any
employment, before Offering it; to consider
the sources of coDgenialty, before admitting
him to our intimacy. Sometimes, too, 1t IS
neediul for the cause of justice TO determine,
as nearly as may be, the degree OF RESPONSE
bility which attaches TO certain OF mans
actions. An even stronger reason for exam
lining his character is the real desire oil Dene-
fitting him. Without some such knowledge
we cannot tell what motives to appeal to, or
what course to take, if we desire TO eliminate
q Dau laDit, 10 ueNeIOp d uVl MANI "a w -
to help him in his own efforts 10 LEAD
nObler life.
Yet. apart from all these reasons, and
others which may be equally cogent, there
is a vast deal of what has been called Dor
ing into character" for no purpose
but to crafty an idle curiosity. There are
people who would be
ASHAMED OF PROBING
Into mans circumstances, finding out his
personal secrets or his business arrange
ments, but who will, without any necessity,
and without any cOmpunction, dissect the
mora character OF every chance acQuain-
lance 10 tie utmost of their ability. The
difference is that their inquisitlvenesS takes
this line instead of the other 1t is perhaps
less Objectionable, as leading less to gossip,
but it is equally the working of a purpose
less and indafensible curiosity.
Neither Is this practice mere harmless
speculation, as so many claim. In the first
place, if ii is the truth about their neignbor
that such persons desire to find, they usually
fail, although they may fancy they are sue
ceeding. There is nothing in the universe.
as far as We know, so complex, so intricate,
so battling TO investigation as human char
acter. Motives and tendencies are so
mingled and blended that it is impossible 10
lay them out in order 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 enter into anOther's being, TO detect his
manifold propensities and weigh their
power, to count up and discriminate his
qualities, to estimate his temptations, 10
measure bis responsibility. Even where the
profoundest interests are involved this is a
task that may well daunt the wisest and the
ooldest, but where only curiosity seeks TO
be gratlhed, who that is rational will at
tempt 10 sound such depths or to solve such
problems? The fact is. that if WE take peo-
pie as We find them, welcoming all their good
points and passing over the others. and be-
ing kind and generous to all, We shall come
much nearer to the truth about them than if
| We labor to make critical
ANALYSIS OF MINDS AND HEARTS
| OF which we can only see a few fragments
| Ii has been truly said that few persons have
| courage enough to seem as good as they
really are" and only through sympat by
| can this courage be stimulated. For the
| good is always in the predonliuance; it is
| positive and grows by being recognized
| while evil is negative and is disSipated by
| neglect.
Then, this boring into character is ALWAYS
unpleasant. No one likes TO feel that he Is
being mentally or morally dissected. Con-
scious as he may be of weaknesses and i'm
projections, he does not desire to have them
patent to another'S vision, 1t tends To EN-
barrass and humliate him, and finally to
| ALLEVIATE him from the one who is thus peer
| ing into his nature. He becomes afraid of
| him, and UNIV ling TO give him his preSen ce
| or his confidence, and thus much good influ-
| ence is prevented and much happiness is
| lost Even though no word of reproof be
| uttered, If the spirit of criticism dwell in
| the heart 1t will come to the front and make
| Itself felt, and will tend to separate us from
those who might, by sympathy and kind
illness, be drawn toward US in friendliness
and goodwill. To stand apart and look at
a man, striving all the time to look through
him, will insensiuly establish a kind of an
tagonlSm which it Is impossible to prevent.
1t puts men on opposite sides, while if they
JOIN hands In generous confidence, each
trusting thu other, without inquiring too
closely into personal idosyncrasies, the
foundation OF good understanding and of
many possible friendship may be laid.
vi course we must recognize differences
IN all those whom we meet, and as these dit
ferences work out into special characters
ties we must respect some and regret others.
We can not shut our eyes 10 the errors of
conduct and OF judgment which spring up
into noxious weeds and disfgure the fair
fields Of human endeavor, although there is
much common sense in the old adyice
Be to her virtues very kind.
BE TO her faults "a little blind.
But needful discrimination is very differ
ent from the habit of curious research, of
inQuisitiye probing and peering into the in
most recesses of character. That may be
shrewd and calculating, but it is a calcula-
ton that generally falls far short OF the
suits. Generosity, sympathy and brotherly
affection viii teach US more Of the real char
acter of a man than all the sitting and
weighing and bordering that we can do, for
1t will bring out the best that is in him, and
his best Will always be his truest self.
TN DAUC ma urnu Doc,ny,n