A Man's Value to Society: Studies in Self Culture and CharacterHillis, Newell Dwight
Philosophy
A Man's Value to Society: Studies in Self Culture and Character
Hillis, Newell Dwight
Character; Self-culture
The measure of manhood is the degree of skill attained in the art of
carrying one's self so as to pour forth upon men all the inspirations
of love and hope, and to evoke good even from the meanest and
wickedest of mankind. Passing through life, the soul is to be a
happiness producer and a joy distributer. Without conscious thought
the violets pour forth perfume; without volition the magnet pulls the
iron filings; with no purpose the candle pushes its beams of light
into the darkness; and such is to be the weight of goodness in each
man, that its mere presence will be felt. For the soul carries power
to bless or blight; it can lift up its faculties for smiting, as an
enemy lifts the hammer above the fragile vase or delicate marble;
through speech man can fill all the sky with storms, or he can sweep
all clouds from the horizon. The soul can take the sting out of man's
anger, or it can stir up anger; it can allay strife or whet the keen
edge of hatred. The thermometer is not so sensitive to heat, the
barometer to weight, the photographer's plate to light, as is the soul
to the ten thousand influences of its fellow men.
For majesty and beauty of subtle influence, nothing is comparable to
the soul. Not the sun hanging upon the horizon has such power for
flower and fruitage as has a full-orbed Christian heart, rich in all
good influences, throbbing with kindness and sympathy, radiant as an
angel. Great is man's skill in handling engines of force; marvelous
man's control of winds and rivers; wondrous the mastery of engines and
ideas. But man himself is greater than the tools he invents, and man
stands forth clothed with power to control and influence his fellows,
in that he can sweeten their bitterness, allay their conflicts, bear
their burdens, surround them with the atmosphere of hope and sympathy.
Just in proportion as men have capacity, talent and genius, are they
to be guardians, teachers, and nurses for men, bearing themselves
tenderly and sympathetically toward ignorance, poverty and weakness.
All the majesty of the summer, all the glory of the storms, all the
beauty of galleries, is as nothing compared to the majesty and beauty
of a full-orbed and symmetrical manhood. Should there be in every
village and city a conspiracy of a few persons toward this refinement
and culture, this beauty and sweet Christian living, the presence of
these Christ-formed persons would transform the community. One such
harvestful nature carries power to civilize an entire city. We no more
need to demonstrate the worth of the sane, sound, Christ-like
character than we need to prove the value of the all-glorious summer,
when it fills the earth with fragrance, the air with blossoms, and all
the boughs with luscious fruit. Each Christian youth is to be a
man-maker and man-mender. He is to help and not hurt men. This is to
walk in love. This is to overcome evil with good. This is to be not a
printed but a living gospel. This is to be a master of the art of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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