The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-10-12
EDITORS CHAT.
eelf-Consciousness-S to Think
A l,rnrrf

Self Consciousness-SOme TO Think
About.
Sometimes we borrow a great deal OF trouble In
the Thought that everybody is talking" about
Us. aud that we occupy a much greater space in
the thoughts of others than we really do. Even
matter which everybody is talking about" is
really talked about by each for very small por-
ton of tho "A hours. aud name which IS in
"eyerybody's mouth is not in each separate
mouth for more than a few minutes at time, and
during those few minutes il is talked of with an
interest very faint compared with that you feel for
yourself
You fancy il a terrible thing when you yourself
have 10 do something which you would think
nothing about If done by anybody else. lady
grows sick and has TO go out of church during the
sermon. Well, ycu remark it-possihly. indeed,
you don't-and you say: "Mrs. Thompson went
out of church to-day; she must be i'll {; and there
the matter ends. But day or two later you see
Mrs. Thompson, and fud her in fever at the awful
fact. 1t was q dreadful trial, walking out and
facing the entire congregation; they must have
thought it very strange; she would not run the
risk of II again for any iHducement The fact is
this: Mrs Thompson thinks a great deal OF the
incident because il happened 10 herself 1t did
not happen to other people. and so they hardly
think of IL. But nine in every ten would have
had Mrs. Thompson's feelings. because very few
people realize how little. after all, other people
think about Them.
How many persons you meet walking along the
street who evidently think everybody is looking
st them. How few persons can walk through the
Worlds Fair grounds and buildings in fashion
thoroughly free from MISREPRESENTATION
thinking OF themselves al ALL of how they look,
but in an unaffected manner observing the objects
and beings around them.
There are several ways in which self-conscious-
ness disagreeby evinces its existence. One is the
way in which some people enter a church or public
meeting. They walk If the eyes of the whole
congregation burning upon them and pose
during the sermon for the benefit of the supposed
Edmiring audience
Another fern Of circumstances is awkward
ness and bashfulness which arises not from the
Of superiority but from the opposite cause OF
sef-deprecia;ion. Many people are so imbued with
their own imperfeciions that they imagine every
body is impressed with the same idea. and it makes
them III al aud embarrassed.
An egoiisi l. always self-coHscious; he imagines
everybody is impressed with his importance and
superiority, and self, with capital S. is always
paramount This vain belief in their own import
snce which most people cheri-h, is not all source
of unmiked happiness. II will work either way.
There is commouer form OF morbid misery than
that OF tbe poor nervous man woman who fsncies
that he or she is the subject OF universal unSnd
remark. or who thinks everybody is conspirng
against them.
Self cons cousness is fault like everything else
and ii IS only where realize our personal
insignifeance ia this great big world and forget
self aud sclfi-h motives. that acquire the
charm OF Haiurainess aHd truly correct deport-
ment
LOST, sTRAYED OR STOLEN.
A letter forwarded TO the Editor At indianapolis
containing mass OF c. c. correspondence. inciud-
ing important communications and few
letters 10 be resd at the Reunion. evidently
lost in the mails for il reached it, destination
and cannot be traced. This will explain why some
excellent letter. haye not appeared