the soul of the far east-第28章

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tal　one。　　Just　as　spontaneous　variation　is　constantly　pushing　the　animal　or　the　plant　to　push　out；　as　a　vine　its　tendrils；　in　all　directions；　while　natural　conditions　are　as　constantly　exercising　over　it　a　sort　of　unconscious　pruning　power；　so　imagination　is　ever　at　work　urging　man's　mind　out　and　on；　while　the　sentiment　of　the　community；　commonly　called　common　sense；　which　simply　means　the　point　already　reached　by　the　average；　is　as　steadily　tending　to　keep　it　at　its　own　level。　　The　environment　helps；　in　the　one　case　as　in　the　other；　to　the　shaping　of　the　development。　　Purely　physical　in　the　first；　it　is　both　physical　and　psychical　in　the　second；　the　two　reacting　on　each　other。　　But　in　either　case　it　is　only　a　constraining　condition；　not　the　divine　impulse　itself。　　Precisely；　then；　as　in　the　organism；　this　subtle　spirit　checked　in　one　direction　finds　a　way　to　advance　in　another；　and　produces　in　consequence　among　an　originally　similar　set　of　bodies　a　gradual　separation　into　species　which　grow　wider　with　time；　so　in　brain　evolution　a　like　force　for　like　reasons　tends　inevitably　to　an　ever…increasing　individualization。

Now　what　evidence　have　we　that　this　analogy　holds？　　Let　us　look　at　the　facts；　first　as　they　present　themselves　subjectively。

The　instinct　of　self…preservation；　that　guardian　angel　so　persistent　to　appear　when　needed；　owes　its　summons　to　another　instinct　no　less　strong；　which　we　may　call　the　instinct　of　individuality；　for　with　the　same　innate　tenacity　with　which　we　severally　cling　to　life　do　we　hold　to　the　idea　of　our　own　identity。　　It　is　not　for　the　philosophic　desire　of　preserving　a　very　small　fraction　of　humanity　at　large　that　we　take　such　pains　to　avoid　destruction；　it　is　that　we　insensibly　regard　death　as　threatening　to　the　continuance　of　the　ego；　in　spite　of　the　theories　of　a　future　life　which　we　have　so　elaborately　developed。　　Indeed；　the　psychical　shrinking　is　really　the　quintessence　of　the　physical　fear。　　We　cleave　to　the　abstract　idea　closer　even　than　to　its　concrete　embodiment。　　Sooner　would　we　forego　this　earthly　existence　than　surrender　that　something　we　know　as　self。　　For　sufficient　cause　we　can　imagine　courting　death；　we　cannot　conceive　of　so　much　as　exchanging　our　individuality　for　another's；　still　less　of　abandoning　it　altogether；　for　gradually　a　man；　as　he　grows　older；　comes　to　regard　his　body　as；　after　all；　separable　from　himself。　　It　is　the　soul's　covering；　rendered　indispensable　by　the　climatic　conditions　of　our　present　existence；　one　without　which　we　could　no　longer　continue　to　live　here。　　To　forego　it　does　not　necessarily　negative；　so　far　as　we　yet　know；　the　possibility　of　living　elsewhere。　　Some　more　congenial　tropic　may　be　the　wandering　spirit's　fate。　　But　to　part　with　the　sense　of　self　seems　to　be　like　taking　an　eternal　farewell　of　the　soul。　　The　Western　mind　shrinks　before　the　bare　idea　of　such　a　thought。

The　clinging　to　one's　own　identity；　then；　is　now　an　instinct；　whatever　it　may　originally　have　been。　　It　is　a　something　we　inherited　from　our　ancestors　and　which　we　shall　transmit　more　or　less　modified　to　our　descendants。　　How　far　back　this　consciousness　has　been　felt　passes　the　possibilities　of　history　to　determine；　since　the　recording　of　it　necessarily　followed　the　fact。　　All　we　know　is　that　its　mention　is　coeval　with　chronicle；　and　its　origin　lost　in　allegory。　　The　Bible；　one　of　the　oldest　written　records　in　the　world；　begins　with　a　bit　of　mythology　of　a　very　significant　kind。　　When　the　Jews　undertook　to　trace　back　their　family　tree　to　an　idyllic　garden　of　Eden；　they　mentioned　as　growing　there　beside　the　tree　of　life；　another　tree　called　the　tree　of　knowledge。　　Of　what　character　this　knowledge　was　is　inferable　from　the　sudden　self…consciousness　that　followed　the　partaking　of　it。　　So　that　if　we　please　we　may　attribute　directly　to　Eve's　indiscretion　the　many　evils　of　our　morbid　self…consciousness　of　the　present　day。　But　without　indulging　in　unchivalrous　reflections　we　may　draw　certain　morals　from　it　of　both　immediate　and　ultimate　applicability。

To　begin　with；　it　is　a　most　salutary　warning　to　the　introspective；　and　in　the　second　place　it　is　a　striking　instance　of　a　myth　which　is　not　a　sun　myth；　for　it　is　essentially　of　human　regard；　an　attempt　on　man's　part　to　explain　that　most　peculiar　attribute　of　his　constitution；　the　all…possessing　sense　of　self。　　It　looks　certainly　as　if　he　was　not　over…proud　of　his　person　that　he　should　have　deemed　its　recognition　occasion　for　the　primal　curse；　and　among　early　races　the　person　is　for　a　good　deal　of　the　personality。　　What　he　lamented　was　not　life　but　the　unavoidable　exertion　necessary　to　getting　his　daily　bread；　for　the　question　whether　life　were　worth　while　was　as　futile　then　as　now；　and　as　inconceivable　really　as　4…dimensional　space。

We　are　then　conscious　of　individuality　as　a　force　within　ourselves。　But　our　knowledge　by　no　means　ends　there；　for　we　are　aware　of　it　in　the　case　of　others　as　well。

About　certain　people　there　exists　a　subtle　something　which　leaves　its　impress　indelibly　upon　the　consciousness　of　all　who　come　in　contact　with　them。　　This　something　is　a　power；　but　a　power　of　so　indefinable　a　description　that　we　beg　definition　by　calling　it　simply　the　personality　of　the　man。　　It　is　not　a　matter　of　subsequent　reasoning；　but　of　direct　perception。　　We　feel　it。　　Sometimes　it　charms　us；　sometimes　it　repels。　　But　we　can　no　more　be　oblivious　to　it　than　we　can　to　the　temperature　of　the　air。　　Its　possessor　has　but　to　enter　the　room；　and　insensibly　we　are　conscious　of　a　presence。　　It　is　as　if　we　had　suddenly　been　placed　in　the　field　of　a　magnetic　force。

On　the　other　hand　there　are　people　who　produce　no　effect　upon　us　whatever。　　They　come　and　go　with　a　like　indifference。　　They　are　as　unimportant　psychically　as　if　they　were　any　other　portion　of　the　furniture。　　They　never　stir　us。　　We　might　live　with　them　for　fifty　years　and　be　hardly　able　to　tell；　for　any　influence　upon　ourselves；　whether　they　existed　or　not。　　They　remind　us　of　that　neutral　drab　which　certain　religious　sects　assume　to　show　their　own　irrelevancy　to　the　world。　　They　are　often　most　estimable　folk；　but　they　are　no　more　capable　of　inspiring　a　strong　emotion　than　the　other　kind　are　incapable　of　doing　so。　　And　we　say　the　difference　is　due　to　the　personality　or　want　of　personality　of　the　man。　　Now；　in　what　does　this　so…called　personality　consist？　　Not　in　bodily　presence　simply；　for　men　quite　destitute　of　it　possess　the　force　in　question；　not　in　character　only；　for　we　often　disapprove　of　a　character　whose　attraction　we　are　powerless　to　resist；　not　in　intellect　alone；　for　men　more　rational　fail　of　stirring　us　as　these　unconsciously　do。　In　what；　then？　　In　life　itself；　not　that　modicum　of　it；　indeed；　which　suffices　simply　to　keep　the　machine　moving；　but　in　the　life　principle；　the　power　which　causes　psychical　change；　which　makes　the　individual　something　distinct　from　all　other　individuals；　a　being　capable　of　proving　sufficient；　if　need　be；　unto　himself；　which　shows　itself；　in　short；　as　individuality。　　This　is　not　a　mere　restatement　of　the　case；　for　individuality　is　an　objective　fact　capable　of　being　treated　by　physical　science。　　And　as　we　know　much　more　at　present　about　physical　facts　than　we　do　of　psychological　problems；　we　may　be　able　to　arrive　the　sooner　at　solution。

Individuality；　personality；　and　the　sense　of　self　are　only　three　different　aspects　of　one　and　the　same　thing。　　They　are　so　many　various　views　of　the　soul　according　as　we　regard　it　from　an　intrinsic；　an　altruistic；　or　an　egoistic　standpoint。　　For　by　individuality　is　not　meant　simply　the　isolation　in　a　corporeal　casing　of　a　small　portion　of　the　universal　soul　of　mankind。　　So　far　as　mind　goes；　this　would　not　be　individuality　at　all；　but　the　reverse。　　By　individuality　we　mean　that　bundle　of　ideas；　thoughts；　and　daydreams　which　constitute　our　separate　identity；　and　by　virtue　of　which　we　feel　each　one　of　us　at　home　within　himself。　　Now　man　in　his　mind…development　is　bound　to　become　more　and　more　distinct　from　his　neighbor。　　We　can　hardly　conceive　a　progress　so　uniform　as　not　to　necessitate　this。　　It　would　be　contrary　to　all　we　know　of　natural　law；　besides　contradicting　daily　experience。　　For　each　successive　generation　bears