Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-24
THE Personal EQUATION.
Allowance for Every Persons Error in All
Things That He Sees.

From the San Frs isco Chronicle.
1t was discovered many years ago that if two
or any greater number of people undertake to
note the same incident at the same time they
will not agree upon the exact moment when
the occurrence took place. Astronomers, in
whose observations the greatest accuracies OBJ
tainable is usually desirable, have studied this
question and generally agree to fix the precise
moment of an occurrence by taking the mean
time noted BY number of observers. and to
this difference in the noting of time they have
given the name of personal equation. The diff
ference proceeds. of course from ply sical and
mental characteristics, one man being able to
think and act with much more rapidity than
another.
If We extend the idea of the personal equa-
ton and apply it to other matters besides scien-
entifc research and observation it will tend to
clear up many of the perplexing questions
which are 70 common in the domain of philoso-
ply, religion and ethics We often think it
very strange that one with whom are discus
sing some proposition should not be able at
once to reach the conclusion at which we have
already arrived. or, on the other hand. that he
should outstrip us and come to a decision with
a quickness which deem unbecoming and
necessarily incorrect, and yet ii Is only matter
of the personal equation.
There people who are quick in everything
just as there are others who are slow in every-
thing. There are men and women who walk
fast and for all know may sleeps
fat. while there are others for whom there
never seem 10 be hours enough in the week for
them to accomplish anything The singular
feature Of this diff renee is that the slow peo-
pie pride themselyc- on their sIowness. sup
porting their way of doing things with all sorts
Of wise saws and modern instances, and regard
ing with pity ii not with scorn those who are
quicker than themselves. They bring to their
aid all the mu-ty old proverbs Imaginable. not
caring to remember that most of them must
have been devised by slow people. not gem
eral rules. but purely excuses for their slow
, ness.
In questions of morals. not TO saw of theology
the personal equation plays an important part
There being no absolute standard Of ethics the
relation must be a purely subjective one. and
whether certain thing be right or wrong must
often depend on the way in which il is re-
garded. just a. beauty is in the eve Of the OBJ
server. so the more delicate shades of ethical
questions must depend on the temperament
conscience of those who are called upon 10 pass
Judgment on them. 1t is very much the same
in theology. The dispute between Luther and
| Melancthon grew ont of one phase of the per-
sOnal equation. Luther unable to translate
"HOc est corpus maum in anv way except lit
orally. This il my body" while Meancthon.
with equal sincerity and devotion TO the same
cause. found in the phrase the figurative and
symboical meaning in which it is generally used
by Protestants of the present day.
The personal equation exists universally. and
| always will. and must recognize it as con-
tentedly as we do the attraction of gravitation.
! OF course nothing can ever drive out of our
heads the idea that we are right and the other
I fellow wrong: but if we concede the existence
of the personal equation NAV be able to
! look with some measure of charity upon his
rors and attribute his obstinacv not to stupidity
/ or i'll temper, but to something of which he
may not be conscious or cannot control if he u.