In general, if a man's small actions impress us as
minutely planned, we turn from him. It is not the self-reflecting
persons, cautious of all they do, say, or think, who are popular. It
is rather those instinctively spontaneous creatures characterized by
abandon--men and women who let themselves go, and with all the wealth
of the world in them, allow it to come out of itself--that we take to
our hearts. We prize them for their want of deliberation. In short, we
give our unbiased endorsement not to the spiritual or consciously
guided person, but to him, on the contrary, who shows the closest
adjustment to nature.
VI
Yet even so, we have gone too far afield for evidence. First we
surveyed the ages, then we surveyed one another. But there is one
proof-spot nearer still. Let us survey ourselves. I am much mistaken
if there are not among my readers persons who have all their lives
suffered from self-consciousness. They have longed to be rid of it, to
be free to think of the other person, of the matter in hand. Instead
of this, their thoughts are forever reverting to their own share in
any affair. Too contemptible to be avowed, and more distressing than
almost any other species of suffering, excessive self-consciousness
shames us with our selfishness, yet will not allow us to turn from it.
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