The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-09-29
Personal Opinion
Counts Little
Mr.. D. M. In a Very Able Thesis
Points Out the Faults
Of Misjudgment.

When the wags of the 18th CEN !.
tury facetiously dubbed George the
Fourth, The first gentleman in
Europe" they perpetrated as Lady
Hamilton says, one of the greatest
jokes of the century," and she sup
poses that the only reason he was
thus classified was due to his total
lack of all gentlemanly qualities.
This possibly, to many will seem an
insufficient reason, but it serves
nevertheless to show the necessity
of careful consideration of proffered
opinions-good or evil-concerning
persons with whom we are but
slightly acquainted.
1t has happened and will possibly
happen again, that men have per-
mitted themselves to be prejudiced
against another simply through Civ
ing heed to the specious argument of
some crafty or discontented person.
In listening to the grievances of our
friends and their descriptions of the
persons they detest, it is advisable
to hold aloof and accept their verbal
illustrations with that calm dignity
with which certain Congressman
accept the Presidential assurances
of the excellence of the present
tariff.
We know that men, when under
the influence of certain passions, are
not in a frame of mind to Judge cor
rectly. We know that the carica-
lures conceived in a passion Of
hatred do not in the least accord
with the original and we know that
the wondrous charms and virtues
attributed by youth to the lady of
his first amour are figments. This
is no profound philosophy, but mere
ly mention of facts with which we
are all acquainted, but seldom, if
ever, put to practicable use.
It would be impossible to depict
the discomfort and positive misery
that are caused by this total lack of
unbiased Judgment Of those with
whom we are thrown in contact.
The tastes of men differ. The lem
on which to some may be the en-
bodiment of all that is luscious and
delectable may to others be an OBJ
ject of adherence. But the opinion
in such case is invariably based
upon personal experience. The per-
son who finds the acidity of the
lemon unpalatable will, in his de-
scription of it, mention nothing Of
it's useful qualities, but merely
describe the sensations he expe-
rienced when partal thereof,
which possibly was due to some
palatal defect in him. 1t frequently
happens that the pernicious charac-
teristics which a man attributes to
an enemy are really his own. The
mistake is this: That instead of
Judging the one offensive to his
taste he has simply become conscious
of certain defects within himself.
It is not in the nature of things that
perfect unanimity shall exist among
men. There are mental and tenn
peramental differences which are
|opposed to such a thing. The
stronger the character and the more
earnest the convictions, the more
likely are they to evoke an unfavor-
j, able opinion from one whose judg-
ment of things is superficial. It is
neither original nor presumptive to
assert that that the very qualities
II which win the friendship Of one may
INSPIRE the hatred of another. II
this is a fact, it sufficiently proves
1.-The advisability of yielding polite
inattention to the sophistications of
those who would have us participate
lin their rancor toward one whose
friendly advances they sometimes
repudiate, in. mistaken belief that
Isuch an one has an axe to grind. !
%. M.