01-what is man-第16部分

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O。M。　　Now　you　are　speaking　hastily。　　It　shows　that　you　have

not　studiously　examined　the　facts。　　Of　all　your　intimates；　which

one　is　the　happiest？　　Isn't　it　Burgess？



Y。M。　　Easily。



O。M。　　And　which　one　is　the　unhappiest？　　Henry　Adams？



Y。M。　　Without　a　question！



O。M。　　I　know　them　well。　　They　are　extremes；　abnormals；　their

temperaments　are　as　opposite　as　the　poles。　　Their　life…histories

are　about　alikebut　look　at　the　results！　　Their　ages　are　about

the　sameabout　around　fifty。　　Burgess　had　always　been　buoyant；

hopeful；　happy；　Adams　has　always　been　cheerless；　hopeless；

despondent。　　As　young　fellows　both　tried　country　journalismand

failed。　　Burgess　didn't　seem　to　mind　it；　Adams　couldn't　smile；　he

could　only　mourn　and　groan　over　what　had　happened　and　torture

himself　with　vain　regrets　for　not　having　done　so　and　so　instead

of　so　and　soTHEN　he　would　have　succeeded。　　They　tried　the　law

and　failed。　　Burgess　remained　happybecause　he　couldn't　help　it。

Adams　was　wretchedbecause　he　couldn't　help　it。　　From　that　day

to　this；　those　two　men　have　gone　on　trying　things　and　failing：

Burgess　has　come　out　happy　and　cheerful　every　time；　Adams　the

reverse。　　And　we　do　absolutely　know　that　these　men's　inborn

temperaments　have　remained　unchanged　through　all　the　vicissitudes

of　their　material　affairs。　　Let　us　see　how　it　is　with　their

immaterials。　　Both　have　been　zealous　Democrats；　both　have　been

zealous　Republicans；　both　have　been　zealous　Mugwumps。　　Burgess

has　always　found　happiness　and　Adams　unhappiness　in　these　several

political　beliefs　and　in　their　migrations　out　of　them。　　Both　of

these　men　have　been　Presbyterians；　Universalists；　Methodists；

Catholicsthen　Presbyterians　again；　then　Methodists　again。

Burgess　has　always　found　rest　in　these　excursions；　and　Adams

unrest。　　They　are　trying　Christian　Science；　now；　with　the

customary　result；　the　inevitable　result。　　No　political　or

religious　belief　can　make　Burgess　unhappy　or　the　other　man　happy。

I　assure　you　it　is　purely　a　matter　of　temperament。　　Beliefs　are

ACQUIREMENTS；　temperaments　are　BORN；　beliefs　are　subject　to

change；　nothing　whatever　can　change　temperament。



Y。M。　　You　have　instanced　extreme　temperaments。



O。M。　　Yes；　the　half…dozen　others　are　modifications　of　the

extremes。　　But　the　law　is　the　same。　　Where　the　temperament　is

two…thirds　happy；　or　two…thirds　unhappy；　no　political　or

religious　beliefs　can　change　the　proportions。　　The　vast　majority

of　temperaments　are　pretty　equally　balanced；　the　intensities　are

absent；　and　this　enables　a　nation　to　learn　to　accommodate　itself

to　its　political　and　religious　circumstances　and　like　them；　be

satisfied　with　them；　at　last　prefer　them。　　Nations　do　not　THINK；

they　only　FEEL。　They　get　their　feelings　at　second　hand　through

their　temperaments；　not　their　brains。　　A　nation　can　be　brought

by　force　of　circumstances；　not　argumentto　reconcile　itself　to

ANY　KIND　OF　GOVERNMENT　OR　RELIGION　THAT　CAN　BE　DEVISED；　in　time

it　will　fit　itself　to　the　required　conditions；　later；　it　will

prefer　them　and　will　fiercely　fight　for　them。　　As　instances；　you

have　all　history：　　the　Greeks；　the　Romans；　the　Persians；　the

Egyptians；　the　Russians；　the　Germans；　the　French；　the　English；

the　Spaniards；　the　Americans；　the　South　Americans；　the　Japanese；

the　Chinese；　the　Hindus；　the　Turksa　thousand　wild　and　tame

religions；　every　kind　of　government　that　can　be　thought　of；　from

tiger　to　house…cat；　each　nation　KNOWING　it　has　the　only　true

religion　and　the　only　sane　system　of　government；　each　despising

all　the　others；　each　an　ass　and　not　suspecting　it；　each　proud　of

its　fancied　supremacy；　each　perfectly　sure　it　is　the　pet　of　God；

each　without　undoubting　confidence　summoning　Him　to　take　command

in　time　of　war；　each　surprised　when　He　goes　over　to　the　enemy；

but　by　habit　able　to　excuse　it　and　resume　complimentsin　a　word；

the　whole　human　race　content；　always　content；　persistently

content；　indestructibly　content；　happy；　thankful；　proud；　NO

MATTER　WHAT　ITS　RELIGION　IS；　NOR　WHETHER　ITS　MASTER　BE　TIGER　OR

HOUSE…CAT。　　Am　I　stating　facts？　　You　know　I　am。　　Is　the　human

race　cheerful？　　You　know　it　is。　　Considering　what　it　can　stand；

and　be　happy；　you　do　me　too　much　honor　when　you　think　that　_I_

can　place　before　it　a　system　of　plain　cold　facts　that　can　take

the　cheerfulness　out　of　it。　　Nothing　can　do　that。　　Everything　has

been　tried。　　Without　success。　　I　beg　you　not　to　be　troubled。