Papers on Indian social reform including Author:John Murdoch Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: LETTER V. [Evil Effects of Decision of Character, if misdirected. Care needed. Dangers to be guarded against. Frederick of Prussia.] It were absurd to supp... more »ose that any human being can attain a state of mind capable of acting in all instances invariably with the full power of determination ; but it is obvious that many have possessed a habitual and very commanding measure of it; and I think the preceding remarks have taken account of its chief characteristics and constituent principles. A number of additional observations remain. The slightest view of human affairs shows what fatal and widespread mischief may be caused by men of this character, when misled or wicked. You have but to recollect the conquerors, despots, bigots, unjust conspirators, and signal villains of every class, who have blasted society by the relentless vigour which could act consistently and heroically wrong. Till therefore the virtue of mankind be greater, there is reason to be pleased that so few of them are endowed with extraordinary decision. Even when dignified by wisdom and principle, this quality requires great care in the possessors of it to prevent its becoming unamiable. As it involves much practical assertion of superiority over other human beings, it should be as temperate and conciliating as possible in manner; else pride will feel provoked, affection hurt and weakness oppressed. But this is not the manner which will be most natural to such a man ; rather it will be high-toned, laconic, and careless of pleasing. He will have the appearance of keeping himself always at a distance from social equality ; and his friends will feel as if their friendship were continually sliding into subserviency ; while his intimate connexions will think he does not attach the due importance either to thei...« less