The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-06-26
Hire Mans motives = = :
= nece$$arily Selfish?


can be developed in man to such a de-
gree that it will override all obstacles,
it necessarily follows that it will also
override selfish motives when they OBJ
struct its path. That the sense of duty
can reach such state of development
in man cannot be seriously doubted
1t is impossible for some men to COM
NIT deliberate wrong. By doing wrong
we mean to act contrary to the dictates
of judgment and conscience. One who
has been taught from his youth to do
right regardless of consequences, to
obey the commands of his conscience;
and who has in all sincerity striven to
live according to the rules that have
been taught him will in time bring his
conscience and judgment to such states
of perfection that they will quickly,
almost intuitively, decide between
right and wrong, and will absolutely
brook no interference from any source
whatever, whether such interference
be backed by self-interest or the desire
to please others.
We will give a few hypothetical cases
for the purpose of showing that mans
motives can be wholly unselfsh:
Surprising the father of an only son
whom he dearly loved were to detect
that son in some criminal undertaking.
Supposing, further, that by remaining
silent the father could shield his sou
from detection, and knowing that a
term of imprisonment would in no wise
benefit his son, he were, in spite of this,
and in spite of the pleadings of the
mother, or sister, or his own heart, to
give up that son for correction to the
proper authorities because he con-
sidered it his duty to do sc, allowing no
other considerations whatever to enter
his calculation about the matter-in
what respect could the motives of this
man in this particular case be called
selfish?
Or supposing philanthropist, not
of the Carnegie kind, but a real lover
of mankind, should deliberately and
without giving himself a single thought,
set about to ameliorate the conditions
of some of his less fortunate brethren,
would it be right to consider him as
being actuated by selfish motives when
he had totally obliterated self from his
calculations as they are related and
applied to the advantage and improve
ment of his fellow men?
| 1t must be conceded that some men
| find far more pleasure in giving aims
than in refusing to give aims. Suppos-
ing man of this stamp were accosted
by some needy person for dime or a
dollar-according to the gall of the
needy person-and in anticipation of
the pleasure he is about to experience
from his generous act of relieving the
poor, already smiles and puts his hand
in his pocket to bring forth the coin
when it suddenly occurs to him this
needy person is begging money for the
purpose of spending it for liquor,
or something worse; and being con-
vinced that to give aims to such per-
son would encourage him to continue
his evil habits, he reluctantly relin-
quishes his more than half formed pur-
pose of complying with the. needy per-
sons request, and resolutely says, "No."
| Would it not be the hight of folly to
call in question the unselfishness Of
his motive2- t}a4h
We often hear Of painful duties"
and it cannot be denied that the per-
formance Of some duties is pro-
ductive of pain to some men, at
least. But the man capable of rising
above selfish considerations will per-
form what he considers his duty with
out giving thought to the consequence
of his performance, further than to
know that his motive is free from sell
fish bias.
] Again, if enc who for years had only