[28] Obviously in the real human being, such as he
actually is made up, this intense sentiment, tenacious, always
stirring and active, is the magazine of inward energy which provides
for three-fourths, almost the whole, of that unremitting effort, that
calculating attention, that determined perseverance which leads the
individual to undergo privation, to contrive and to exert himself, to
turn to profitable account the labor of his hands, brain and capital,
and to produce, save and create for himself and for others various
resources and comforts.
(It is probable that disinterested motives, pure love for one's
neighbor, for humanity, for country, do not form a hundredth part of
the total energy that produces human activity. It must not be
forgotten that the actions of men are alloyed with motives of a lower
order, such as love of fame, the desire of self-admiration and of
self-approval, fear of punishment and hope of reward beyond the grave,
all of these being interested motives, and without which disinterested
motives would be inoperative excepting in two or three souls among ten
thousand.[29])
Thus far, in society as a whole, this sentiment has been only
partially touched, and the injury has mainly been to the well-to-do or
rich classes.
Pages:
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820
821