The Washington herald., 1915-09-01
The Sense Of Superierity.

american snau pc murdered through her agencies
The Sense Of Superierity.
~ JOHN d. BARRY.
1t Is distressing to see how the spirit of II an
better than thou" runs through ali classes Of So
ciety. Sometimes one hears it directly and open
ly expressed in words Often one finds it CON.
veyed coverty and indirectly in looks, sounds, In
acts, both conscious and unconscious. To NEE,
it IN its frank revelations is often interesting
Usually it conveys the idea of consciousness oi
superior birth or breeding or both.
Where the sense of superiority COMES from
faith in the superiority of ones birth it is likely
to be incurable. Only very noble characters can
voluntarily resign the possession of what seems
like an imperishable advantage something that
can never be taken away. For no matter how
degraded such people may become, they feel that
they retain it Often in their degraton they speak
of it with pride
But when the superiors of birth do voluntarily
resign this sense of advantage, they acquire real
advantage, priceless possession, steadily contrib
uting to their happiness They relieve themselves
of burden which they are not likely to recognize
as burden till it has gone, burden that causes
those bearing it to make unpleasant exactions on
Others in order to pay tribute to themselves. They
suffer from one of the most hdeous forms of self
imposition.
But to feel that one is no better than ones
neighbors is at once to place oneself in position
where one can enjoy ones neighbors. giving
freely and accepting freely in return.
For there no exchanges SO helpful, SO stim-
ulating, as the exchanges of equality.
Indeed. the exchanges of equality are the only
real exchanges
A broad-minded man of my acquaintance
once made to me remark that impressed me at
that time astonishing. l still think it is as an
astounding thing to say. But also think there is
in it profound wisdom. These were his words as
closely as l remember them: q" am glad
there is not person of importance, so far as am
aware, in the family of my wife or in my own fam
lily. Ny is that there is no one in the FAM
lily of my children that the children can point to
with pride. And l am glad that in the inheritance
of my children there is no for their feeling
that they are better than other people. On the
contrary. there is every reason for their feeling
that they just ordinary children like most chill
dren in the world"
Here many good people will disagree. They
think it is inspiring for children to feel pride OF
birth pride in this relative or that, to have an
ideal of birth or an example in relative to live
up to.
If, in all instances there really ideals to
be lived up to there would be no possible dis
agreement. Occasionally young people do strive
to live up to such incentives, actually to their
profit. But in most cases such examples, if taken
seriously and if kept in their mind result in self
satisfaction in the sense of achievement without
the work or sacrifice of character that go into
every worldwide achievement
Moreover, the incentives of pride are among
The least worthy of all incentives. Often they
stand in the way of other, far nobler, including
he incentive to worthy achievement simply be-
cause it is worthy and because it mskes its appeal
% the best qualities in human nature.
1t is curious to note the way the sense of SUI
,eriority survive the rebukes of fortune. On
Ill sides are seen examples, superiority failing to
ind any kind of recognition and yet sustaining it
elf with self-indulgcnce. Sometimes it actually
ecures certain benefits, simply by asserting its |
:laims Far oftener however, it excites resent
nent and punishment. 1t may lead to amazing /
xtremes. "You can't ever understand how a
woman like me feels" once heard woman say
Who prded herself on her superior birth to an
,ther woman of humber station. who was eco
lomically in her power.
The meek woman by her very mcekness deliv- |
red rebuke that would have stung any pride
ut the callous pride of birth.
II think that is true" she said, very quietly "I
ant understand how you feel"
The best qualities in human beings, Ida Tar
ell once remarked lie not among the differences
ut among the resemblances.
The Sound Of Shrapnel.
Have you ever heard shrapnel by any chance?
10? Well, it sounds as much as anything else