The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-06-06
See Straight
nv ~. ARLINGTON BRUCE
Author OF The Riddle OF Person
ality," psychology aud
Parenthood." etc.

The other evening I attended
performance given by members OF
the ~ Workshop that unique lahora.
tory of the drama established los
Professor George + Baker at Har
yard university The performance
that evening was OF play called
THE stranger dealing with Che eN.
pcriences OF an American girl in
Hungary.
This girl WAS beloved by a Hun
garian nobleman OF some admirable
| qualities anu some traits not $50 adj
mirable Herself loying the noble
man. the girl could see his defects
as clearly as his virtues Wherefore
she vas moved TO eNoIaim in mo.
ment OF indignation at his brutal
treatment of peasant
The trouble with You. count. is
thai YOU can't see straight You
can only see down
Quite plainly The audience appre
ciated this rebuke as applied 90 the
Hungarian nobleman But after an
one does not have 20 go 90 The tho
alter and to.a stage In hungary TO
find people Of whom it mas truth
tully be said that they can only "see
DOWN"
/ Such people are around us We
md them evcrs where hloated with
money >socil prestige. or learning
( RJlugh, into contact with other Eeo
/ pile their habit OF seeing down
comes Gnaloasanuy INTO evidence a.
once.
Equally evident is their inability
/ 20 see straight
II they are wealthy they behave as
tho the gold they have Inherited or
amassed has a magic Quality giving
them some intrinsic superiority TO
othtr people
II they come N an old family"
their actions similarity indicate that
they regard themselves as beings OF
la finer type than the generality Of
men.
Andrif being neither wealthy nor
Of fancy pedigree they have man
aged 10 cram into their minds more
learning than other people possess.
they again assume that they are Of
an infinitely superior STRAIN.
Happily. not an wealthy socially
prominent. or learned people ACT 80
this way HUT an enormous proper
ton 1T the wealthy, socially prom
.nent. and learned do thus act
And. still more amazing. an enor
nous proportion 81 those treated As
interiors make lt painfully apparent
/ that they accept the stigma Of IN.
feriority put upon them
They kow-tow and knuckle 10 the
self STYLED uperiors." even II in
secret they arc filled with bitterness
toward them. Whereby the "supe
rors" axe confirmed in their foolish
habit Of never trying &c see any
where evceprdown
The fact lis that there Is mental
blindness on both sides
Both forget that wealth. social
standing. and learning are only ac
cidentals and cannot possibly fur
nish any sound standard Of true hu
man worth
Both forget that n tho last anal
ysis IT, Is not what a man has or
knows but what he Is and does that
ought 70 count for or against him
Character Is indeed tho essential
thing By which 20 Judge him
Until men universally appreciate
this. civilization must needs lag IN
the attaining Of IT'S ideals Social
conflicts will continue. governments
and nations will be imperiled. per
sonal peace and happiness will ever
be uncertain
For the habit 81 seeing down
creates conditions that AZ one OK
treme bring despotism and AZ the
other revolution This is lesson
that all history teaches
One and all We MOST train our
selves 70 see straight One and an
We must train ourselves really 20
appreciate our brotherhood with 9th
or men. Else we may as well aban
don forthwith cur dreams Of true so
cial progress.