The Detroit times., 1911-01-31

The answer 10 no question more pro
loundly affects a mans whole lie than
the answer he gives TO the query
what tor? What Is my purpose In NV
ing: just what am 1 trying TO doE me
other tremendously important aues-
lions concerning God and immortality.
whence did we come from anu Mn t',,t
are We going, must yield III mag hItuuc
10 this question OF fundamental ain
We must come TO some KIND OF oo, .
clusion as TO Just what IL Is VIZ az
striving 10 accomplish a. 49,
II we ask the ordinary man III w
street" say the typical business MAJ,
what ne is living Tor. ne viii r oo.oiy
tell US that ne wants 10 nave moniS
and is working to get IL, that wSai'n
ii his aim But when We press MIN a
little more closely and ask MIN Wh'
IL il he wishes TO be rich, ne reples;
oh. because then ! can an na asepIy. we
inquire why II is he desires these
things. these material objects anu
these pleasures which money VIII pus -
these things because then shal ee
happy Happiness, then, appears 10
be the fundamental aim. $50 -,
But let US inquire OF anothsr ~
man say a politician, what II - ne
striving for. and We soon uiscos
that he wishes TO rule. 10 controi 49,.
men In other words, he wants PoN
Wbvo because of the satisfaction -
ives him. His aim then. Is al pottohl
AVE- ths man who is trying go
nard TO amass q fortune they poI'
wish 10 be HAPPY ..t.n ~
or again let us ask our auesti1ut IL
the type of man who may care httle
for money and not much Tor poWer' IL u.
who loves to be In the puOllc eye hS
tells US that his ambition Is 10 Mas nv y
name for himself. But. why does ne
pursue fame? Look beneath the SUI
face and we find that he wishes II 70, V
cause he imagines IL VIII MAKE nie
q h.a y -.
his answer comedies with the otpe: ..
Now. OF course, there are other op
lects OF human pursuit pesloes W., % !,
fame and power, but IN the ma oLl'S Va
"a ses and 1 speak advisedly, the 90
tets sought for are desired because
IL felt that their possession VIII DRINK
pleasure, happiness, satisfaction, ST. s't
what YOU will, to the seeh oaI ,nwards
"a hich nearly all are striving.
Rut there Is another type OF man
who will reply, in answer 10 our 9uts-
ton. that he Is iiyshs " living Tor
1thers Now let us go back OF thts
answer with the question. Wy Iii
good TO others" and great nlany WI.
Teply. Because that Is the only w
can be happy. that is the only thlhs
that gives ME satisfaction. Ana thls
old hedonistic theory seems 10 ne Jam
Ing in popularity incr re iSn FOR Others
md YOU will be happy ITO do good
ia the only way To be happy Inose
Who hold this belief make the aoins
- GOOD merely means OF obtaining
6anniness realizing that this methon
is he best This doctrine We may car
Tho dectrine Of enllghtened sell IN ~ -.
at But fundamentally, ~ the aiI Ia
Inv difTerent than that Of the aVeraSe
"sson ~ whom we have spoken
WeaIth fame. power ana the otne.
,hings are no longer souBht LOT, put
why net? Because ~ , rs mir sh the real
hiect OF living, happiness ihere
~ no adherence In aim, merely dif :
ference in method, In the means Oh
.ac,,ring the object OF ones quest
a.. please Others, so Please Ourselves
Sans Of our social workers are DO
Ing good To the unfortunate, not pc
cause OF real love and sympathy TO.
,bosa less favored. but because they
,h.wseIyes feel better for having done
IL Take for instance "a case whlch
hanpened during the past hohday sea
son s family asked th is 9' -, I'm, -.
I'M dine with them on CHRISTMAS DAY
Tn children were brought part OF the
,yay nv a lady who had them In charge
~ thsn because Of the cold. sh"
1.'',,.a a. best not TO 40 further and 50
'E ,hsm back The family who de-
sired TO do for these childTen We're
rather piqued, because thelr iallurS 10
a',,.,.,r spotled the good time that had
~ antIcfpated by their would-be
Deunsactors The fundamental purpose
Ven 81 helping these children, was TO
,n 49,. Measure TO the givers rather than
80 the receivers, and TINS seems 20 lie
hoch 81 much OF our altrulsm OF TO-DAY.
cT take another case. IL ~ said that
- daV az Lincoln and friend were
oiI Ltny along the road, they heard J
w. ,n,aaI Lincoln looked back and
Us, n littie pig so deep in the mud that
4, ,.nuld not eNtricate ITSELF Now LIN
III, yvas In his sunday best. and 10 get
- ni,s out Of 'difficulty meant the soil
~ ~ ms clothes. but he went TO the
ais .ns His friend asked him why he
-, soiled his clothes for the sake ~
49, We'll" Lincoln said. III hadn't
1870 n / would have heard that pig
Ia,,aa1 all day I'm other words. The
~. U.s. rescued, not for the sake OF
~ nj. but for the sake Of Abraham
,,uuncnnin Thus many who are laboring
-, 40 GOOD are doing SO. not with the
Ill being OF others funda mentally at
Ssatt. but for this inner satisfaction
y,h,ch IN gives them. or because this
,a,hod IL the best method Of attain
ne individual happiness. Frankly
"sasted this g. refined selhshuess out is
gcidshness nevertheless
az course those who avow this con
cention OF Hfe's aim tell US that man
- a fool 60 act contrary To what gives
min, satisfaction; that the only consif-
gration for him should be To get the
most complete satisfaction. But view
il in any light you will the emphasis