Our very imperfections, once accepted, prove our best
means of discerning more. That is a profound remark of Hegel's that
knowledge of a limit is a knowledge beyond that limit. Let us consider
for a moment what it means. Suppose I should come upon Kaspar Hauser,
shut in his little room. "And how long have you been here," I ask.
"Ever since I was born," he answers. "Indeed! How much, then, do you
know?" "Nothing beyond the walls of this room." Might I not fairly
reply, "You contradict yourself. How can you know anything about walls
of a room unless you also know of much beyond them?" We cannot
conceive a limit except as a limit from something. Accordingly, when
we detect our ignorance we become by that very fact not ignorant. We
have gone beyond ourselves and have seen that we are not what we
should be. And this is the way of self-development. Becoming aware of
our imperfections, we by that very fact continually lay hold on
whatever perfect is within our reach.
X
When then we ask whether at any moment we are fully persons, we must
answer, No. The actual extent of personality is at any time small. It
is rather a goal than something ever attained. We have seen that it is
not to be described in terms of the verb "to be." We cannot say "I am
a person," but, only "I ought to be a person.
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