If a man is born free from grosser temptations, vigorous,
active, robust, the chances are ten to one that he falls into the
snare of self-righteousness and moral complacency. He passes
judgment on others, he compares himself favourably with them. A
spice of unpopularity gives him a still more fatal bias, because he
thinks that he is persecuted for his goodness, when he is only
disliked for his superiority. He becomes content to warn people,
and if they reject his advice and get into difficulties, he is not
wholly ill-pleased. Whereas the diffident person, who tremblingly
assumes the responsibility for some one else's life, is beset by
miserable regrets if his penitent escapes him, and attributes it to
his own mismanagement. The truth is that moral indignation is a
luxury that very few people can afford to indulge in. And if it is
true that a rich man can with difficulty enter the kingdom of
heaven, it is also true that the dramatic man finds it still more
difficult. He is impervious to criticism, because he bears it with
meekness.
Pages:
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228