The Afro-American advance., 1899-11-18
THE HABIT OF pETULANcE.
Im Health AnswerabIe for some Of
IL, but 1t Is Principally Due
to seIEshness.


One of the minor faults Of humanity
is petulance. 1t is classed As minor be
cause it is an exhibition of ~ temper,
based upon petty proyocatioh, Iut il il
a major fault, judged by the a7noy-
ance it Civ. Men arm themsei' es 10
resist their dangerous enemies, bnt are
helpless sufferers from gnats and mos
quitoes. They resent or receive with
fortitude the assaults of bad temper
freely exhibited, but they are almost
helpless when assaulted by petulance.
Ill health is no doubt answerable for
great deal of petulance-its victims
are excused on that aecount-but some
of it is due 10 utter selfisnness and to
TOO much indulgence. Some people
grow up with an idea that the world
was made for them; they are petted
and INDUCED by parents or other rela-
tiyes until they become utterly selfish
and feel perfectly grieyed if it should
happen to rain on a day they had ap-
pointed for a picnic, or if any other
quite natural impediment should arise
to interrupt their enjoyments of life.
Such people are, of course, petulant
when they are crossed in any way,
though they may be very agreeable as
long as they can have their desires
gratified. Their agreeable qualities
earn for them the indulgence which
helps to make them selfish and, there
fore, petulant. If the day is excessive
ly warm they do not stop to consider
that il is warm for other people as well
as for themselves, but complain about
the weather, grow exacting and, if at
all encouraged, inconvenience their
friends or relatives that they may be
relieved of the common affliction. They
become i'll tempered, as all people are
inclined to be when rendered uncom
Portable by weather conditions, but in
stead of bearing their ills with fortitude
they exhibit their petulance and COM
pei those about them to wait upon and
indulge them, If a quarrel is to be
avoided.
Petulance which has any other origin
than disease should not be allowed to
develop into a habit. 1t is better TO
resist it in the beginning, however dis
agreeable the task may be, than to en-
courage its growth and indulgence.
This is only another way of saying that
one should not encourage the develop
ment of a selfish spirit in those whom
one loves. Keeping in mind the evils
of a selfish disposition, of which petu-
lance is a manifestation, and that self
ishness grows by indulgence, one who
is associated with a person at all in
clined 10 consider his own pleasure be-
yond that of all other people should be
resisted when he makes any encroach-
ment upon the rights of others, His
petulance should be firmly rebuked in
stead of being encouraged by indul-
gence, and he should be made 10 feel
that he is but one of community en-
titled to nothing more Tor less) than
all the other members. His petulance
should be resisted not by a counter eX-
hibition of temper. but with such firm
ness that will give notice that nothing
is to be gained by bad humor. The
existence of a petulant humor implies
the existence of counter indulgence on
the part of some intimate who weakly
yields TO exhibitions of temper, and thus
encourages the development of bad
habit. While avoiding petulance in
ourselves. therefore, we should be
equally on our guard against develop
ing il in others by an excess of good
nature. The petulant man or woman
should not be INDUCED in his or her
whims, but be made to feel that petu-
lance is sef-irritating and gains neither
sympathy nor Baltimore Sun.