Show THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF KNOWLEDGE BY GASEELL Although man is blessed with intelligence in-telligence and faculties capable of an almost endless extension yet is he miserable and unhappy unless some system is followed wherein a classification classifi-cation ensues and he has his powers and resources mora readily at hand and under contrcl The efforts of tho greatest genius amount to but very little where method is not followed Bright erratic and wandering from one flower to another exhausting scarcely any of their treasured sweets it beams for a time like a comet frightening rather tban conciliating and accomplishing but little lasting good Life composed of farce and tragedy at times mixed with tnclodramic sentimentalty ia a study ot more impottance than many imagine a study unexhausted by centuries oi philosophical inquiry Every moment mo-ment opens new scenes new noaders and new sources of information In general principles the same yet understood un-derstood differently by diflerent philosophers philos-ophers an amalgamation of eelhsh aud generous passtousof epicurean and atoical principles of the greatest heroism and the most object servility of abnegation and selfdeniil and a brutal selfish indifference and it U in properly balancing all these opposite positap in giving each its proper weight without undue influence that mictakca are made and men difler Men are all more or less alike The general principles of organization aro similar in all but passions and faculties vary both in intensity in-tensity and vigor Some natures are torpid and slow of comprehension not easy tD be roused to auger giving little way to passion or to reflection and thought in fact almost disqualified disquali-fied to ruminat Others are burning burn-ing aa the tropics as vivid in imagination imagi-nation and rapid in comprehension as the others aro dull Others again range from one grade to the other to both extremes and are perbaps an abnormal combination of both governed more by instinct than reason Though varing thus in mental and physical capacity tho mme heaven actuates bath and all and if we thoroughly comprehend one heart one physical organization or one soul we may boast somewhat cur knowledge of humanity and of the secret springs which actuata its movements move-ments But in this wo speculate drawing deductions from what we know and judging of things by that standard Though not iiterslly correct cor-rect it may prove instructive and beneficial opening up new views of duties and strengthening tho heart by contemplation of future rewards It we confine our creed strictly to what wo really kcow we certainly have but a small field forrefl ction and we cast out the major part if not all of the principles and hopes that create happiness Many mistake the meaning of knowledge and conound menial or moral certainly with it thus misapplying mis-applying terms and by an arbitrary compulsion putting a meaning to u j contrary lo facts A man may be morally certain ot the truthfulness cf a proposition but that certainty does not amount to a knowledge though he might be willing to venture almost anything upon itSelf it-Self is difficult of attainment attain-ment though to a certain degree not impossible We are however too proud or stubborn to submit to even a catechising trying our utmost certainly to the contrary to clear ourselves of fault Thus we often hide what we shoald eradicate We are more lenient to ourselves than we would or could be to another an-other and by this means we contract a species of silent falsifying subversive I to candor and undermining in its clients by slow approaches the structure struc-ture of principle and virtue There are however some natures the reverse re-verse of this and if deep contrition if inward pain and almost anguished desperation could win atonement for dereliction then would they have paid the penalty of remissness They lock upon the faults of others more leniently leni-ently by very reason of their own failings fail-ings Instead of scorning they pity instead of wounding reproach they take lesson to themselves hoping to gain by such example superior power to overcome We are most of ua wondrous wise in our own estimation and for one who undervalues himself his ability and worth there aro fifty who overrate their powers liTo see oursels as others see us It wad frae monie a blunder free us It is oftener bustling mediocrity that overestimates itself than real i I genius which needs no puffing no trifling with principle to raise it in tha opinion of the good and worthy whose good will is to be desired As the poet Bays we can seldom eee our own faults and folly but those of others are mot glaring and instantly II attract our attention In picking a moat from a brothers eye we do not I notice the beam in our own perhaps journeying on to the end of our lives without properly appreciating one single blessing we posses or understanding under-standing a single duty we should perform per-form What makes the steam engine of such wonderful powei It ia by proper concentration of parts Were the same quantities of water and of heat instead of bbing concentrated allowed to waste themselves upon the air no results would follow at all similar It needs a concentration of the mind a joining of energy and talent to accomplish anything of importance im-portance or of lasting value 10 the buman family With this lever to aid ability there is scarcely anything but what we can reasonably expect without it we may look in vain for blessing Our powers are otherwise wasted oa empty nothings and tho morbid misanthropy of failure robs us eventually even of peace Selfknowledge enables us moro readily to accomplish this desirable concentration Method and activity of mind beget facility and pliability and they in turn beget an increase of ttrengtb Thus we find present advancement secures future pleasure and the power and desire to do good increasing in durability and strength opens titttr triumphs to our view Can we acquire a knowledge of ourselves our-selves We can to a greater or less l extent as our observing faculties are acute or obtuse and as we can rightly comprehend motives or judge justly of actions Even the smallest adVance ad-Vance in this knowledge will increase our facilities and enlarge our tautige ground Reason IB the greatest goad we can boast nod by ton proper exercise oran or-an undue neglect we tither mskj or mar our luluro life To uiietuke purbiou for re3oti eulf interest for exercise ex-ercise ot judgment selfishness und greed for independence of character forms an anomaly by no means uncommon un-common but in effect subversive to that liberal enlightenment or philosophical philo-sophical candor that thould guide us in our speculations and mvestigatojs after truth Did we properly understand under-stand ourselves we would wonder still more at the beneficent power of God Surprise after surprise would bo disclosed dis-closed by our investigations and we would each day lose a cotion of that exclusive selfishes in which our spirits are more or less clothed ana we would be less sectional less partisan parti-san in our views and more desirous ol tho general good of oar specie Tl o mystery that bai shrouded toe discoveries of philosophers the speculations specu-lations of moralittJ in consequence of tho vain desire ot man to attain fame and fear of enlightening others to our own injury defeats its object burying itself and its theories beneatn the rubbish of scholastic subtUtv and the cheap notoriety of today robs fame of its pro ongatiou and future existence Indifference is not a virtue anymore any-more than a too forward officiousness and the mean between the two is certainly the must beneficial and wise inclining some ah ot to one or the other as circumstances warrant and exineuciei call We have heard men eay Wo know ouraehdd buffi ently appreciate when we do wrong and when we do right we comprehend compre-hend our duties and we perform them to the extent of ihit knowledge Perhaps they do but that man whoever who-ever at all times and in all places does this is certainly advanced beyond be-yond the bounds of common humanity We can comprehend desire and earnestness in the pursuit of truth but we sadly doabt the pruuciency of those who do no wrong whi ° e actions are never discordant with justice Self knowledge is certainly the first step towards this proficiency When aVjiued self conquest is bfrt a matter 01 ° time and energy and an endless career of felicity is ours subject to no extraneous circumstances and liable lo but few of the trials of mundane life |