Y.M. Look at the matter as it stands now. Man has been taught that he is the supreme marvel of the Creation; he believes it; in all the ages he has never doubted it, whether he was a naked savage, or clothed in purple and fine linen, and civilized. This has made his heart buoyant, his life cheery. His pride in himself, his sincere admiration of himself, his joy in what he supposed were his own and unassisted achievements, and his exultation over the praise and applause which they evoked—these have exalted him, enthused him, ambitioned him to higher and higher flights; in a word, made his life worth the living. But by your scheme, all this is abolished; he is degraded to a machine, he is a nobody, his noble prides wither to mere vanities; let him strive as he may, he can never be any better than his humblest and stupidest neighbor; he would never be cheerful again, his life would not be worth the living. O.M. You really think that? Y.M. I certainly do. O.M. Have you ever seen me uncheerful, unhappy. Y.M. No. O.M. Well, _I_ believe these things. Why have they not made me unhappy? Y.M. Oh, well—temperament, of course! You never let _that _escape from your scheme. O.M. That is correct. If a man is born with an unhappy temperament, nothing can make him happy; if he is born with a happy temperament, nothing can make him unhappy. Y.M. What—not even a degrading and heart-chilling system of beliefs? O.M. Beliefs? Mere beliefs? Mere convictions? They are powerless. They strive in vain against inborn temperament. Y.M. I can’t believe that, and I don’t. O.M. Now you are speaking hastily. It shows that you have not studiously examined the facts. Of all your intimates, which one is the happiest? Isn’t it Burgess? Y.M. Easily. O.M. And which one is the unhappiest? Henry Adams? Y.M. Without a question!