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Show .1 ; "sain'of Pessimism in Modern Life C? I w , stance Greatly to Be Deplored J By HENRY J. GOLDINO, New York Ethical Socle I FTnl11 underlying atraln of pessimism in modern lift II ihadow of its interrogation mark athwart our path. I II ai well aa in the Old world, it finds utterance in a au notable writers. Poe, Mark Twain, Henry Adams, Jacl Edgar Lee Masters, Theodore Dreiser, Sinclair Lewis-, Sherwood rem and Eugene O'Neill express in varying degreea a somber JL spiritual frustration. ' V. During the last few weeks an epidemic of suicide among the youV bis redirected attention to thia undercurrent of despair I Disquieting evidence of widespread nervous instability is revealed by the statistics of mental disease. Insanity is growing at t rats greatly I exceeding that of the increase of population. 1 Symptomatic also, is a prevalent cynicism, 'which flouts ideals, de-1 rides marriage, decries those concerned for progress and is skeptical of J tb deeper emotions. The yearning of those distracted souls who seek I J refuge from themselves in Oriental mysticism evidences the malaise of I ear time. And is not the forced not of our very optimism revealing I I specially the religious optimism that seeks to blind the sufferers to their 1 1 ills by denying the reality of pain and evil ? , , It The present wave of pessimism can only be attributed to the current I trend of philosophy and psychology, and to neglect of spiritual qualities J ja a quest or material things. ' I ' |