Inevitably many of us make a poor business of it.It is too much.It is as if each one should sit down to invent a language for himself： these things should be thought out gradually， cooperatively each adding little and accepting much.That great traditions should rapidly go to pieces may be a necessary phase of evolution and a disguised blessing， but the present effect is largely distraction and demoralization.
In particular， we notice that few who have burdens to bear are much under the control of submissive tradition， but every one asks "Why must I bear this？" and the pain of trying to see why is often worse than the evil itself.There is commonly no obvious reason， and the answer is often a sense of rebellion and a bitterness out of which comes， perhaps recklessness， divorce， or suicide.
Why am I poor while others are rich ？ Why do I have to do work I do not like ？ Why should I be honest when others are unscrupulous ？ Why should I wear myself out bearing and rearing children ？ Why should I be faithful to my husband or wife when we are not happy together， and another would please me better ？ Why should I believe in a good God when all I know is a bad world ？ Why should I live when I wish to die ？ Never， probably， were so many asking such questions as this and finding no clear answer.There have been other times of analogous confusion， but it could never have penetrated so deeply into the masses as it does in these days of universal stir and communication.
How contemptible these calculations seem in comparison with the attitude of the soldier， who knows that he must suffer privation and not improbably death， and yet faces the prospect quite cheerfully， with a certain pride in his self-devotion.In this spirit， evidently， all the duties of life ought to be taken up.But the soldier， the seaman， the fireman， the brakeman， the doctor and others whose trade leads them into obvious peril have one great advantage： they know what their duty is and have no other thought than to do it； there is no mental distraction to complicate the situation.
And as fast as principles become settled and habits formed， people will be as heroic in other functions as they are in these.
We may apply to many in our own time the words of Burckhardt in describing the disorganization of the Renaissance： "The sight of victorious egoism in others drives him to defend his own right by his own arm.And， while thinking to restore his inward equilibrium， he falls， through the vengeance which he executes， into the hands of the powers of darkness."That is， we think we must be as selfish as other people， but find that selfishness is misery I notice that many men， even of much natural sympathy and fellow-feeling， have accepted " every man for himself " as a kind of dogma， making themselves believe that it is the necessary rule of a competitive society， and practicing it with a kind of fanaticism which goes against their better natures.Perhaps the sensitive are more apt to do this than others梑ecause they are more upset by the spectacle of "victorious egoism"around them.But the true good of the individual is found only in subordinating himself to a rational whole； and in turning against others he destroys himself.
The embittered and distracted individual must be a bad citizen.There is the same kind of moral difference between those who feel life as a rational whole， and so have some sort of a belief in God， as there is between an army that believes in its commander and one that does not.In either case the feeling does much to bring about its own justification.
The fact that the breaking up of traditions throws men back upon immediate human nature has， however， its good as well as its bad side.It may obscure those larger truths that are the growth of time and may let loose pride， sensuality and scepticism； but it also awakens the child in man and a childlike pliability to the better as well as the worse in natural impulse.We may look， among people who have lost the sense of tradition， for the sort of virtues， as well as of vices， that we find on the frontier：
for plain dealing， love of character and force， kindness， hope， hospitality and courage.Alongside of an extravagant growth of sensuality， pride and caprice， we have about us a general cult of childhood and womanhood， a vast philanthropy， and an interest in everything relating to the welfare of the masses of the people.The large private gifts to philanthropic and educational purposes， and the fact that a great deal of personal pride is mingled with these gifts， are equally characteristic of the time.
And， after all， there is never any general state of extreme disintegration.
Such as our time suffers from in art and social relations is chiefly the penalty of a concentration of thought upon material production and physical science.In these fields there is no lack of unified and cumulative endeavor梩hough unhuman in some aspects 梤esulting in total achievement.If we have not Dante and gothic architecture， we have Darwin and the modern railway..
And as fast as the general mind turns to other aims we may hope that our chaotic material will take on order.
Endnotes The Poet.Emerson.342 See the article by R.L.O'Brien in the Atlantic Monthly， Oct.， 1904.Inaccurately， because the full development of the individual requires organization Jane Addams
