爱默生随笔选

Essay Ⅰ Self-reliance（二）

　　And truly it demands something godlike in him who has cast off the common motives of humanity， and has ventured to trust himself for a taskmaster。 High be his heart， faithful his will， clear his sight， that he may in good earnest be doctrine， society， law， to himself， that a simple purpose may be to him as strong as iron necessity is to others！

　　If any man consider the present aspects of what is called by distinction society， he will see the need of these ethics。 The sinew and heart of man seem to be drawn out， and we are become timorous， desponding whimperers。We are afraid of truth， afraid of fortune， afraid of death， and afraid of each other。Our age yields no great and perfect persons。We want men and women who shall renovate life and our social state， but we see that most natures are insolvent， cannot satisfy their own wants， have an ambition out of all proportion to their practical force， and do lean and beg day and night continually。Our housekeeping is mendicant， our arts， our occupations， our marriages， our religion， we have not chosen， but society has chosen for us。We are parlour soldiers。We shun the rugged battle of fate， where strength is born。

　　If our young men miscarry in their first enterprises， they lose all heart。 If the young merchant fails， men say he is ruined。If the finest genius studies at one of our colleges， and is not installed in an office within one year afterwards in the cities or suburbs of Boston or New York， it seems to his friends and to himself that he is right in being disheartened， and in complaining the rest of his life。A sturdy lad from New Hampshire or Vermont， who in turn tries all the professions， who teams it， farms it， peddles， keeps a school， preaches， edits a newspaper， goes to Congress， buys a township， and so forth， in successive years， and always， like a cat， falls on his feet， is worth a hundred ofthese city dolls。He walks abreast with his days， and feels no shame in not“studying a profession，”for he does not postpone his life， but lives already。He has not one chance， but a hundred chances。Let a Stoic open the resources of man， and tell men they are not leaning willows， but can and must detach themselves；that with the exercise of self-trust， new powers shall appear；that a man is the word made flesh， born to shed healing to the nations， that he should be ashamed of our compassion， and that the moment he acts from himself， tossing the laws， the books， i-dolatries， and customs out of the window， we pity him no more， but thank and revere him，-and that teacher shall restore the life of man to splendor， and make his name dear to all history。

　　It is easy to see that a greater self-reliance must work a revolution in all the offices and relations of men；in their religion；in their education；in their pursuits；their modes of living；their association；in their proper-ty；in their speculative views。

　　1.In what prayers do men allow themselves！That which they call a holy office is not so much as brave and manly。Prayer looks abroad and asks for some foreign addition to come through some foreign virtue， and loses itself in endless mazes of natural and supernatural， and mediatorial and miraculous。Prayer that craves a particular commodity，-any thing less than all good，-is vicious。Prayer is the contemplation of the facts of life from the highest point of view。It is the soliloquy of a beholding and jubilant soul。It is the spirit of God pronouncing his works good。But prayer as a means to effect a private end is meanness and theft。It sup-poses dualism and not unity in nature and consciousness。As soon as the man is at one with God， he will not beg。He will then see prayer in all action。The prayer of the farmer kneeling in his field to weed it， the prayer of the rower kneeling with the stroke of his oar， are true pray-ers heard throughout nature， though for cheap ends。Caratach， in Fletcher's Bonduca， when admonished to inquire the mind of the god Audate， re-plies，“His hidden meaning lies in our endeavours；Our valors are our best gods。”

　　Another sort of false prayers are our regrets。 Discontent is the want of self-reliance：it is infirmity of will。Regret calamities， if you can thereby help the sufferer；if not， attend your own work， and already the evil begins to be repaired。Our sympathy is just as base。We come to them who weep foolishly， and sit down and cry for company， instead of impar-ting to them truth and health in rough elec-tric shocks， putting them once more in communication with their own rea-son。The secret of fortune is joy in our hands。Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man。For him all doors are flung wide：him all tongues greet， all honors crown， all eyes follow with desire。Our love goes out to him and embraces him， because he did not need it。We solicitously and apologetically caress and celebrate him， because he held on his way and scorned our disapprobation。The gods love him be-cause men hated him。“To the persevering mortal，”said Zoroaster，“the blessed Immortals are swift。”

　　As men's prayers are a disease of the will， so are their creeds a disease of the intellect。 They say with those foolish Israelites，“Let not God speak to us， lest we die。Speak thou， speak any man with us， and we will obey。”Everywhere I am hindered of meeting God in my broth-er， because he has shut his own temple doors， and recites fables merely of his brother's， or his brother's brother's God。Every new mind is a new classification。If it prove a mind of uncommon activity and power， a Locke， a Lavoisier， a Hutton， a Bentham， a Fourier

　　it imposes its classi-fication on other men， and lo！a new system。In proportion to the depth of the thought， and so to the number of the objects it touches and brings within reach of the pupil， is his complacency。But chiefly is this apparent in creeds and churches， which are also classifications of some pow-erful mind acting on the elemental thought of duty， and man's relation to the Highest。Such is Calvinism， Quakerism， Swedenborgism。The pupil takes the same delight in subordinating every thing to the new terminology， as a girl who has just learned botany in seeing a new earth and new seasons thereby。It will happen for a time， that the pupil will find his intellectual power has grown by the study of his master’s mind。But in all unbalanced minds， the classification is idolized， passes for the end， and not for a speedily exhaustible means， so that the walls of the system blend to their eye in the remote horizon with the walls of the universe；the luminaries of heaven seem to them hung on the arch their master built。They cannot imagine how you aliens have any right to see，-how you can see；“It must be somehow that you stole the light from us。”They do not yet perceive， that light， unsystematic， indomitable， will break into any cabin， even into theirs。Let them chirp awhile and call it their own。If they are honest and do well， presently their neat new pinfold will be too strait and low， will crack， will lean， will rot and vanish， and the immortal light， all young and joyful， million-orbed， million-colored， will beam overthe universe as on the first morning。

　　2.It is for want of self-culture that the superstition of Travelling， whose idols are Italy， England， Egypt， retains its fascination for all educat-ed Americans。They who made England， Italy， or Greece venerable in the imagination did so by sticking fast where they were， like an axis of the earth。In manly hours， we feel that duty is our place。The soul is no traveller；the wise man stays at home， and when his necessities， his du-ties， on any occasion call him from his house， or into foreign lands， he is at home still， and shall make men sensible by the expression of his countenance， that he goes the missionary of wisdom and virtue， and visits cities and men like a sovereign， and not like an interloper or a valet。

　　I have no churlish objection to the circumnavigation of the globe， for the purposes of art， of study， and benevolence， so that the man is first domesticated， or does not go abroad with the hope of finding somewhat greater than he knows。 He who travels to be amused， or to get some-what which he does not carry， travels away from himself， and grows old even in youth among old things。In Thebes， in Palmyra， his will and mind have become old and dilapidated as they。He carries ruins to ruins。

　　Travelling is a fool's paradise。 Our first journeys discover to us the indifference of places。At home I dream that at Naples， at Rome， I can be intoxicated with beauty， and lose my sadness。I pack my trunk， em-brace my friends， embark on the sea， and at last wake up in Naples， and there beside me is the stern fact， the sad self， unrelenting， identical， that I fled from。I seek the Vatican， and the palaces。I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions， but I am not intoxicated。My giant goes with me wherever I go。

　　3.But the rage of travelling is a symptom of a deeper unsoundness affecting the whole intellectual action。The intellect is vagabond， and our system of education fosters restlessness。Our minds travel when our bodies are forced to stay at home。We imitate；and what is imitation but the travelling of the mind？Our houses are built with foreign taste；our shelves are garnished with foreign ornaments；our opinions， our tastes， our faculties， lean， and follow the Past and the Distant。The soul created the arts wherever they have flourished。It was in his own mind that the artist sought his model。It was an application of his own thought to the thing to be done and the conditions to be observed。And whyneed we copy the Doric or the Gothic model？Beauty， convenience， gran-deur of thought， and quaint expression are as near to us as to any， and if the American artist will study with hope and love the precise thing to be done by him， considering the climate， the soil， the length of the day， the wants of the people， the habit and form of the government， he will create a house in which all these will find themselves fitted， and taste and sentiment will be satisfied also。

　　Insist on yourself；never imitate。 Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation；but of the adopted talent of another， you have only an extemporaneous， half pos-session。That which each can do best， none but his Maker can teach him。No man yet knows what it is， nor can， till that person has exhibi-ted it。Where is the master who could have taught Shakespeare？Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin， or Washington， or Bacon， or Newton？Every great man is a unique。The Scipionism of Scipio is precisely that part he could not borrow。Shakespeare will never be made by the study of Shakespeare。Do that which is assigned you， and you cannot hope too much or dare too much。There is at this moment for you an utterance brave and grand as that of the colossal chisel of Phidias， or trowel of the Egyptians， or the pen of Moses， or Dante， but different from all these。Not possibly will the soul all rich， all eloquent， with thousand-cloven tongue， deign to repeat itself；but if you can hear what these patriarchs say， surely you can reply to them in the same pitch of voice；for the ear and the tongue are two organs of one nature。Abide in the simple and noble regions of your life， obey your heart， and you shalt reproduce the Foreworld again。

　　4.As our Religion， our Education， our Art look abroad， so does our spirit of society。All men plume themselves on the improvement of socie-ty， and no man improves。

　　Society never advances。 It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other。It undergoes continual changes；it is barbarous， it is civilized， it is christianized， it is rich， it is scientific；but this change is not a-melioration。For every thing that is given， something is taken。Society ac-quires new arts， and loses old instincts。What a contrast between the well-clad， reading， writing， thinking American， with a watch， a pencil， and a bill of exchange in his pocket， and the naked New Zealander， whose prop-erty is a club， a spear， a mat， and an undivided twentieth of a shed to sleep under！But compare the health of the two men， and you shall see that the white man has lost his aboriginal strength。If the traveller tell us truly， strike the savage with a broad axe， and in a day or two the flesh shall unite and heal as if you struck the blow into soft pitch， and the same blow shall send the white to his grave。

　　The civilized man has built a coach， but has lost the use of his feet。 He is supported on crutches， but lacks so much support of muscle。He has a fine Geneva watch， but he fails of the skill to tell the hour by the sun。A Greenwich nautical almanac he has， and so being sure of the information when he wants it， the man in the street does not know a star in the sky。The solstice he does not observe；the equinox he knows as little；and the whole bright calendar of the year is without a dial in his mind。His note-books impair his memory；his libraries overload his wit；the insurance-office increases the number of accidents；and it may be a question whether machinery does not encumber；whether we have not lost by refinement some energy， by a Christianity entrenched in establish-ments and forms， some vigor of wild virtue。For every Stoic was a Stoic；but in Christendom where is the Christian？

　　There is no more deviation in the moral standard than in the standard of height or bulk。 No greater men are now than ever were。A singular equality may be observed between the great men of the first and of the last ages；nor can all the science， art， religion， and philosophy of the nineteenth century avail to educate greater men than Plutarch's heroes， three or four and twenty centuries ago。Not in time is the race progressive。Phocion， Socrates， Anaxagoras， Diogenes， are great men， but they leave no class。He who is really of their class will not be called by their name， but will be his own man， and， in his turn， the founder of a sect。The arts and inventions of each period are only its costume， and do not invigorate men。The harm of the improved machinery may compensate its good。Hudson and Behring accomplished so much in their fishing-boats， as to astonish Parry and Franklin

　　whose equipment exhausted the re-sources of science and art。Galileo， with an opera-glass， discovered a more splendid series of celestial phenomena than any one since。Columbus found the New World in an undecked boat。It is curious to see the periodical disuse and perishing of means and machinery， which were introduced with loud laudation a few years or centuries before。The great genius returns toessential man。We reckoned the improvements of the art of war among the triumphs of science， and yet Napoleon conquered Europe by the bivouac， which consisted of falling back on naked valor， and disencumbering it of all aids。The Emperor held it impossible to make a perfect army， says Las Casas，“without abolishing our arms， magazines， commissaries， and carria-ges， until， in imitation of the Roman custom， the soldier should receive his supply of corn， grind it in his hand-mill， and bake his bread him-self。”

　　Society is a wave。 The wave moves onward， but the water of which it is composed does not。The same particle does not rise from the valley to the ridge。Its unity is only phenomenal。The persons who make up a nation today， next year die， and their experience with them。

　　And so the reliance on Property， including the reliance on governments which protect it， is the want of self-reliance。 Men have looked away from themselves and at things so long， that they have come to esteem the religious， learned， and civil institutions as guards of property， and they dep-recate assaults on these， because they feel them to be assaults on proper-ty。They measure their esteem of each other by what each has， and not by what each is。But a cultivated man becomes ashamed of his property， out of new respect for his nature。Especially he hates what he has， if he see that it is accidental，-came to him by inheritance， or gift， or crime；then he feels that it is not having；it does not belong to him， has no root in him， and merely lies there， because no revolution or no robber takes it away。But that which a man is does always by necessity acquire， and what the man acquires is living property， which does not wait the beck of rulers， or mobs， or revolutions， or fire， or storm， or bankruptcies， but perpetually renews itself wherever the man breathes。

　　“your lot or portion of life，”said the Caliph Ali，“is seeking after you；therefore be at rest from seeking after it。”Our dependence on these for-eign goods leads us to our slavish respect for numbers。The political par-ties meet in numerous conventions；the greater the concourse， and with each new uproar of announcement， the delegation from Essex！The Democrats from New Hampshire！The Whigs of Maine！The young patriot feels him-self stronger than before by a new thousand of eyes and arms。In like manner the reformers summon conventions， and vote and resolve in multi-tude。Not so， O friends！Will the God deign to enter and inhabit you， but by a method precisely the reverse。It is only as a man puts off all foreign support， and stands alone， that I see him to be strong and to prevail。 He is weaker by every recruit to his banner。Is not a man better than a town？Ask nothing of men， and in the endless muta-tion， thou only firm column must presently appear the upholder of all that surrounds you。He who knows that power is inborn， that he is weak because he has looked for good out of him and elsewhere， and so percei-ving， throws himself unhesitatingly on his thought， instantly rights himself， stands in the erect position， commands his limbs， works miracles；just as a man who stands on his feet is stronger than a man who stands on his head。

　　So use all that is called Fortune。 Most men gamble with her， and gain all， and lose all， as her wheel rolls。But do thou leave as unlawful these winnings， and deal with Cause and Effect， the chancellors of God。In the Will work and acquire， and thou hast chained the wheel of Chance， and shalt sit hereafter out of fear from her rotations。A political victory， a rise of rents， the recovery of your sick， or the return of your absent friend， or some other favorable event， raises your spirits， and you think good days are preparing for you。Do not believe it。Nothing can bring you peace but yourself。Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles。