The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-12-14
SelfIS''ness.

1870 ih'huCSS c'cIy "ueTC n the
world except in ourselves. No one of
US has the right TO be satisfied with
hlL,:eif nor any special right to be
dissatisfied with the world, but we 90
on from our first consciousness to the
final fading away of consciousness
satisfied with ourselves and dissatis-
ned with our communities apd the
world in general. All of US are vic
tins of the drug habit. Every day Of
our lives We diGtill somewhere within
ourselves narcotics which we proceed
to administer to our own consciences
aud VIC 60 on living in fools para
disc, seeing ourselves in all kinds Of
beautiful lights and lovely shapes but
with very clear disccrnmcnt of the
dcformities and faults Of other pco.
pie.
We begin a, school, where the
average boy and girl accuses the
teacher Of Injustice or incfiiciency,
attributes the success of school fell
lows to luck or favoritism and ex
cuscs his own or her own failures
and shortcomings with an endless
variety of plausible explanations.
Probably a majority of employees
carry around with them the general
impression that all employers are op.
pressors and human hogs. The young
man beginning business for himself
complains bitterly of the bank prcs;-
dent who holds his credit within GER,
tain limitations and who declines to
accept his sanguine estimates of his
own abilities and prospects. Every
community has q certain proportion
of active, energetic and hopeful men
constantly intent on doing large things
for their town and themselves. These
run headlong against the stolid and
solid citizen, who represents the ac-
tual cash to be used, and finding them
selves questioned and taken under
dubious consideration, to go abroad in
the thoroughfares and cry out suenu-
ously against the selfshness and lack
Of public spirit and enterprise of the
noneyed element.
Yet very likely the employee who
resents most deeply the economies and
criticisms of his employer is harsh if
not brutal to those over whom he
may have authority or power. Prob
ably the business man who complains
because his creditors urge for their
money and his banker declines to ex-
tend his line Of loans, is most particu-
iarly careful in collecting what is due
to him and in his own store or factory,
or whatever it may be, consistently
declines to credit anybody, however
sore the need may be or however ear
nest the plea, unless he has clearly
dehncd idea that payment will be sure
and prompt. The harshness, coldness
and sponsive attitudes of others
to us awake our Indignation to the
flaming poiut an to threats of emf.
grafton to some more liberal and ap-
prcciative community, we forgetting
that in our smaller spheres and places
we are more deeply guilty of the same
sins. Every day Of the world citizens
complain against the selfshncss and
lack of public spirit and liberality of
their fellows while they themselves
are shaving things to the smallest
fraction Of percentage and sending
what money they have to spend away
from their own community for the
purpose Of saving few cents.
ltis 80 in social life, into which we
60 with vague expectation of getting
everything while giving nothing. We
undertake to set ourselves up for our
own consideration on kind Of pedes-
tai above tho ordinary rules of barter.
With general impression that we
have some peculiar transeendant
merits which We cannot quite define
to ourselves when we try, we look for
consideration, Difference, kindness and
generosity while neglecting all of them
in our owu conduct toward Others.
We do it even in our churches
and even in our secret transactions
with the Almighty. We foster with
in ourselves the unexpressed and tre-
mendously daring notion that He owes
US something and is in fault somehow
when He does not go on indefinitely
showering payment upon US. We
cri,icisc and carp against the man in
the pulpit just as we did with our
teachers when we were at school. We
expect him to take special and tender
interest in US and our atfairs, and to
achieve results impossible to any hu-