Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-12

The mystery Of the person who con-
Stitutes himself champion of humanity
deserves careful consideration.
He--or she-Who rushes to the de-
tense of others the second anything
which they may construe as criticism
is leveled against them is we'll known
type.
This prize specimen is blood rela-
ton Of the man or woman who asks
questions but refuses to accept answers
Whereas the latter attempts to show
his superiority by disputing with
knowledge, todays specimen constitutes
far greater. study.
Ii one is to understand why this man
acts as he does. a careful search must
be made into his antecedents, in order
to determine the environmental data
which cause him to do as he does.
Thus only may some approach be
made to the mystery which he is. And
surely he is a puzzle. because to most
human beings it seems perfectly plain
that every one has enough to do II
life to defend himself and his own.
There is no. apparent reason why any
average person should rush to the de-
fense-mostly spoken defense. of course
of those who are in no way related
to them. whose names they perhaps
do not know. and who would not thank
them for their excessive and unasked
zeal.
IT will be found that in almost every
such case there Is some hereditary back
ground which, when known, perfectly
accounts for the brilliant defense.
Thus woman who pretends to alb
hor gossip, natural conversational ac-
ton of human beings. will turn out 10
be, upon investigation, one who was the
victim of such chit-chat herself III the
dim (and she hopes forgotten) past
Perhaps her environment was such as
to make her realize the evils Of unre-
stricted chatter.
careful analysis Of the sort of peo-
pie whom she defends in conversation
will show the analyzer the themes upon
which she is the most sensitive. Thus
by failing to keep her mouth shut when
she is not involved she gives herself
away. Most such persons never have
the least idea that the mental tracks
which they leave behind them in con-
versation are as plain as footprints in
the snow or upon muddy road. They
forget that some minds are capable OF
putting two and two together.
Yet all such backgrounds fail to ac-
count for the person who merely reSentS
criticism of others from third party
We must go even farther back than
prior employment, when he-or She
might have been in a position of COM
mand, and thus have never been talked
back to-" Thus school teachers anc
others come to possess voices of COM
mand," which all unconSciously they
carry with them into other vocations
and into married life. They are not
aware of the fact that an adult human
being has a right to an opinion. The
sad fact was that the children they
taught had no right to opinions. If G
contrary opinion was expressed by e
pupil. he was Jumped off with the
designation "impudent," and report
made of the same to his parents. 1t i!
common observation that such persons
in after life, tend to resent contrary
opinions even of their equals. Super
visory work in any capacity will give
some temperaments the same inabil.
ity to encounter mental opposition II
other walks.
X X X X
Persons in the same business banC
together to catch up" any criticism o!
their life. occupation or habits, all don't
unconsciously but simply as part o.
the great defense mechanism of the
human race, which long centuries age
was carried over from the physical tt
the mental and spiritual spheres, where
1t functions gleefuly.