Nevertheless, amid all the false conventions, the sham glories and
cowardices of our civilization, there abides in the heart the craving
for true love, and the idea of it leaps continually into flame in the
young. In spite of the ridicule of the elders, in spite of blunders and
tragic failures, in spite of dishonesties and deceptions--nevertheless,
it continues to happen that out of a thousand maidens the youth finds
one whose presence thrills him with a new and terrible emotion, whose
lightest touch makes him shiver, almost makes his knees give way.
If you will recall what I have written about instinct and reason, you
will know that I am not a blind worshipper of our ancient mother
nature. I am not humble in my attitude toward her, but perfectly willing
to say when I know more than she does. On the other hand, when I know
nothing or next to nothing, I am shy of contradicting my ancient mother,
and disposed to give respectful heed to her promptings. One of the
things about which we know almost nothing at present is the subject of
eugenics. We are only at the beginning of trying to find out what
matings produce the best offspring. Meantime, we ought to consider those
indications which nature gives us, just as we consider her advice about
what food to eat and what rest to take.
It is not my idea that science will ever take men and women and marry
them in cold blood, as today we breed our cattle. What I think will
happen is that young men and women will meet one another, as they do at
present, and will find the love impulse awakening; they will then submit
their love to investigation, as to whether they should follow that
impulse, or should wait. In other words, I do not believe that science
will ever do away with the raptures of love, but will make itself the
servant of these raptures, finding out what they mean, and how their
precious essence may be preserved.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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