The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-12-15
SELFlsHNEsS.

"hSA PAOAipe0u I0AAel uu0u W S0CAuu0
themselves from the world and live their
days alone or in communities in contem-
pla,ion of heavenly things. As form of
seif-sacrifce this is no longer esteemed the
highest type of unselfishness. 1t is recog-
nized that shutting ones self off from the
world to think only of the Christ who lived
in and of the world is an inconsistent form
of devotion, false idea. It is deemed
selfish rather then unselfish. Service not
seclusion is the true worship.
To remove ones self from the world
with its temptations, responsibilities and
sorrows is to shun the highest duties of life.
1t is placing self above all else and all
others, and nothing in the sight of God and
man is as contemplate as selfishness. Yet
the monasterial idea has its redeeming
feature. It's selfishness is not sordid and
grasping and it does not deprive others of
aught.
This cannot be said of another type of
selishness which consists of living in the
world but not for it, of moving among men
but doing nothing for them. That is not
an uncommon thing. We are constantly
meeting people who might as well be shut
up within the walls of a monastery for all
the good they do thier fellows. Their lives
may be blameless 80 far as the moral code
is concerned, they are are honest and
truthful, they are religious by profession
and presumably by deed, they would not
be suspected of lying, stealing, murder or
any of the sins forbidden by the decalogue,
and yet there is lacking that charity that
prompts to generosity in thought and ac-
ton. They are selfish. It may be their
nature or it may be a trait acquired.
The deficiency in their composition is that
in all things they place self first. They
may recognize the rights of others and be
careful to observe the letter of the law in
that respect but beyond that they cannot
go. They give no more than the pound of
flesh called for in the bond. Their religion,
if it is really religion, may forbid cheating
and dishonesty in business but it does not
inspire them to concessions. Their moral
ity is matter of stipulations and con-
tracts.
Such person as this may not be pos
tive factor for evil but it is difficult to see
what good he does. Practically his status
in relation to humanity is the same as that
of the monk who lives in seclusion. He
never exerts himself to give others pleas
ure, he never deprives himself of anything
that another may enjoy it and he never
yields point to save some one else from
sorrow or injury.
We have all met individuals of this kind,
and to meet them is not to love them. We
may be forced to admit their rigid right
eousness and even to admire some excel
lencies of their character but we are not
attracted by them. A longer and closer
acquaintance may discover selfishness so
repulsively developed as to inspire disgust
and disdain.
There is nothing SO repellant as selfish
ness. It strangles admiration, it STILES
regard and quickly kills friendship. On
the other hand there is nothing so attractive
as generosity, the antithesis of selhshness.
This is taught all through the Bible and
the teaching is confirmed by hnman ex-
perience. AS standard of conduct the
Golden Rule is unexcelled. There is no
time nor place nor occasion when it is not
profitable to follow that dictum.
Generosity is of different kinds, and it
is we'll that it is so. The multi millionaire
displays generosity when he POUNDS hum
dreds Of libraries or donates thousands OF
dollars for colleges and hospitals. Yet we
remember the widows mite and the praise
that it was given. And after all the giving
OF money is not the highest form of gene
rosity. That is rather to be found in the
thousand and one exhibitions of self -saeri-
flee, that we meet with day by day. The
poor man who unselfshly lives and tolls for
others, thinking only of their needs and
their comfort, the happiness and the pleas
ure OF mother and sister, is greater than
he who gives millions out of his abundance
and has yet other millions to maintain him
in luxury. Mr.. Carnegie appreciated this
when he said it is disgrace to die rich.
The unselfish man is apt to die poor. As
rule wealth is secured by saving-the
quick fortunes are the exceptions.
The selfish man cannot be philosophic.
Selfishness warps q PERSONS whole nature.
1t makes him disgustingly acquisitive to
begin with; it narrows his views, contracts
I