+The liar likewise loses confidence in himself.+--He cannot distinguish
truth from falsehood, he has so frequently confounded them. He is caught
in his own meshes. A good liar must have a long memory. Having no
recognized standard to go by, he cannot remember whether he said one
thing or another about a given fact; and so he hangs himself by the rope
of his own contradictions. Worse than these outward consequences is the
loss of confidence in his own integrity and manhood. In Kant's words, "A
lie is the abandonment, or, as it were, the annihilation of the dignity
of man."
CHAPTER VIII.
Time.
Every act we do, every thought we think, every feeling we cherish exists
in time. Our life is a succession of flying moments. Once gone, they can
never be recalled. As they are employed, so our character becomes. To
use time wisely is a good part of the art of living well, for "time is
the stuff life is made of."
THE DUTY.
+The duty of making life a consistent whole.+--Life is not merely a
succession of separate moments. It is an organic whole. The way in which
we spend one moment affects the next, and all that follow; just as the
condition of one part of the body affects the well-being of all the
rest. As we have seen, dissipation to-day means disease to-morrow. Work
to-day means property to-morrow. Wastefulness to-day means want
to-morrow. Hence it should be our aim so to co-ordinate one period of
time with another that our action will promote not merely the immediate
interests of the passing moment, but the interests of the permanent self
throughout the whole of life. What we pursue on one day must not clash
with what we pursue the next; each must contribute its part to our
comprehensive and permanent well-being.
THE VIRTUE
+Prudence is the habit of looking ahead, and seeing present conduct in
its relation to future welfare.+--Prudence is manly and virtuous because
it controls present inclination, instead of being controlled by it. A
burning appetite or passion springs up within us, and demands instant
obedience to its demands. The weak man yields at once and lets the
appetite or passion or inclination lead him whithersoever it listeth.
Not so the strong, the prudent man. He says to the hot, impetuous
passion: "Sit down, and be quiet. I will consider your request. If it
seems best I will do as you wish. If it turns out that what you ask is
not for my interest I shall not do it. You need not think that I am
going to do everything you ask me to, whether it is for my interest to
do it or not. You have fooled me a good many times, and hereafter I
propose to look into the merits of your requests before I grant them."
It takes strength and courage and determination to treat the impulses of
our nature in this haughty and imperious manner. But the strength and
resolution which it takes to do an act is the very essence of its
manliness and virtue.
THE REWARD.
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