Human, All Too Human Volume Ii Part 63

HEROISM.-The heroic consists in doing something great (or in n.o.bly _not_ doing something) without feeling oneself to be in compet.i.tion _with_ or _before_ others. The hero carries with him, wherever he goes, the wilderness and the holy land with inviolable precincts.

338.

FINDING OUR "DOUBLE" IN NATURE.-In some country places we rediscover ourselves, with a delightful shudder: it is the pleasantest way of finding our "double."-How happy must he be who has that feeling just here, in this perpetually sunny October air, in this happy elfin play of the wind from morn till eve, in this clearest of atmospheres and mildest of temperatures, in all the serious yet cheerful landscape of hill, lake, and forest on this plateau, which has encamped fearlessly next to the terrors of eternal snow: here, where Italy and Finland have joined hands, and where the home of all the silver colour-tones of Nature seems to be established. How happy must he be who can say, "True, there are many grander and finer pieces of scenery, but this is so familiar and intimate to me, related by blood, nay even more to me!"

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AFFABILITY OF THE SAGE.-The sage will unconsciously be affable in his intercourse with other men, as a prince would be, and will readily treat them as equals, in spite of all differences of talent, rank, and character. For this characteristic, however, so soon as people notice it, he is most heavily censured.

340.

GOLD.-All that is gold does not glitter. A soft sheen characterises the most precious metal.

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WHEEL AND DRAG.-The wheel and the drag have different duties, but also one in common-that of hurting each other.

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DISTURBANCES OF THE THINKER.-All that interrupts the thinker in his thoughts (disturbs him, as people say) must be regarded by him calmly, as a new model who comes in by the door to offer himself to the artist.

Interruptions are the ravens which bring food to the recluse.

343.

BEING VERY CLEVER.-Being very clever keeps men young, but they must put up with being considered, for that very reason, older than they are. For men read the handwriting of the intellect as signs of _experience_-that is, of having lived much and evilly, of suffering, error, and repentance. Hence, if we are very clever and show it, we appear to them older and wickeder than we are.

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HOW WE MUST CONQUER.-We ought not to desire victory if we only have the prospect of overcoming our opponent by a hair's breadth. A good victory makes the vanquished rejoice, and must have about it something divine which spares _humiliation_.

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AN ILLUSION OF SUPERIOR MINDS.-Superior minds find it difficult to free themselves from an illusion; for they imagine that they excite envy among the mediocre and are looked upon as exceptions. As a matter of fact, however, they are looked upon as superfluous, as something that would not be missed if it did not exist.

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DEMANDED BY CLEANLINESS.-Changing opinions is in some natures as much demanded by cleanliness as changing clothes. In the case of other natures it is only demanded by vanity.

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ALSO WORTHY OF A HERO.-Here is a hero who did nothing but shake the tree as soon as the fruits were ripe. Do you think that too small a thing?

Well, just look at the tree that he shook.

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A GAUGE FOR WISDOM.-The growth of wisdom may be gauged exactly by the diminution of ill-temper.

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