The Dominion. SATURDAY, MAY 16, 1914. THE CHEERFUL SPIRIT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2150, 16 May 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, MAY 16, 1914. THE CHEERFUL SPIRIT

There is always room for optimism in every community, and the recent formation of an Optimists' Club in Wellington calls for no apology. If tho new organisation is able to fill the sphere of usefulness so interestingly mapped out foritby Mb. J. S. Barton, it will certainly hilly justify its existence, Some people may think that- almost every phase of the life of man is already catered for by some society or club, hat it is impossible to withhold a hearty welcome k> ftn association for the pi'oißotion of cheerfulness, whether organised or in any other form. Every candid mind will agree with Mr. Barton when he tells us that ranch of tha present-day industrial trouble is dne to deliberately lamented mis- - which gives rise, to a feeling of distrust among different classes of the coniftiuaity, and we aro glad to know that one of tho duties of the new club will be t-o remove this misunderstanding and di-steust, and to foster cordial relations be-twe-en employers and employees. Another suggested field of activity is the education of the people with tho special object of showing them the foolishness of swallowing the economic quack medicines that may be put before them. It is impossible for any reasonable man to defly that these things need to be done. The very fact that some people are too pessimistic to believe that it is any use trying to inerease the amount of goodwill and good sense in the eoihinunifcy is in itself a proof of the necessity of cultivating that healthy iwpei'nl spirit which resolutely refuses to accept the fatalistic tiioory. that things are. what they are, and will be what they will be; and all that human effort fro make the w'ovlC! a better place to live in is foolish and futile. There can bo rio doubt that this feeling of fatalism has got a stroag hold on the modern wind, In spite of all that education, and Ecienee s and civilisation have done durine tho last hundred years, it is still an open question -whether the average man of to-day is happier and better than the average man who lived in tho spacious days .of Qitebs Eu2abf;th, There aro people who tell us that the increase of tho means of enjoyment has been acsompanietl by a decrease in the capacity for being happy, and that we are taking our pleasures rtiore arid moresadly. Crimes of violence a-ro no j doubt less froquent than they were, ■ and the reign of bnite force; seems to bo passing away; but it is doubtful if there are mere, real goodwill snd fellowship .in: the. , Korkl to-day f Vtau there was a hundred years ago. We are passing through a. period of disillusionment, and a wave of pessimism is a natural consequence. It. '■■; no use to shut oui' eyes to plain facts, but it. is quite reasonable for the optimist to contend that if we are no better ov hapoiev than: cv.l , fi-Hiers, >t is our own fault. Hnman affairs • are not directed and_ determined by some nifciless and iiwxovabfe fiitc, and, if we are unable to undo the past, we can at any fate snake tins best of tho present .and do something to brighter! tlio fvitvue. "Where there's a will there's a way" is a t.nw savins—that is, if there are ivrtoltigcirte and purpose bchirid the world, and free will is not an illusion! , •

B«t optimism is only a cheerful form of mental deftcieftcy unless it has its roots deep down in the very nature of things, for no intelligent man can bo an optimist if the universe is merely a liape purposeless machine, oirt world being only a snuill wheel in which humanity is an insignificant cog, and the Individual of no account- whatever—a tjiere stiftck in space and moment in tiroe. This mechanical and materialistic conception of things naturally engenders a spirit of fatalism which regards all human endeavour as a weary waste of time and energy. Wo have to thank tte new school of philosophy, in which Bbugson figures so prominently for upsetting this gloomy theory, and giving us hack otir tree wjll. Indeed) our latest teachers e?en permit us to have souls of our. own, and provide a firm foundation for that bracing optimism which acts on ths assumption that men and women can really do things. Instead of our. own lives being imlftd by a blind destiny over which we have no control, we arc rediscovering the fact that- We are free men responsible for the rijrhtncSß or wroßgncss of our actions. It is depressing for a tti&E to feel that he is merely & pawn in j some great game he cannot under[stand. If we are simply the sport of circumstances—a tribe- of puppets who think they are alive—then indeed all is vanity and vexation of spirit, and every reasonable man must be a pessimist. Such an existence might well be described as a tragic comedy, and it would not be far' wrong to -speak of history as a ''rod tragedy." But if wo are jtisijr fed in rejecting the- idea that tvc live in a wild and aimless World, and are satisfied that tho whole scheme of things is moving fo-fwai'd to somoe-B-d that is worth while, then the; optimist has reason on his aids, and has a right to regard "the struggles o£ tho human race- as a p.re>gr-es-sioß fvoa .darkness to light." The free space for the realisation of our most spteiidid- hopes which the-' new philosophy provides may be expected to mafco itself felt in the course o! time on the average- man's gea-eral outldok c-ii life, iteft&soN dogs riot j deal d-irectjy with the problems of] ethics, and social reJoi-nii and }t is ■ doubtful if any of his disciples fully understands thp, whole of his gospel'; j but there is no doubt that HERE Kuhe is right- when he insists on the practical importance of Ber.qson's teaching that our freedom is a real thing, and- that there is no other limits for our actions than the IJmitationsof our own personalities. We ar<s Incoming more and more ««snst:ions of. brotherhood, and feel that evolution is a continuous, and in the loor run an upward process. , Such ideas act as a moral and inMlectna! ionic, and give rise to a sesise of oißaacipntion. ' " ■It is, of conrsp, very nice to tell neople.-to cheei' up, but thp nrlvicp, however well nipant. is not. likelv to adrl to tho Rmoimt of checrfnltjess in the world unless, it h.is some fm»ndntion i" reason. Nothing is more irviSi!tints than tho shallot and senseless kiftd of optimism that shuts its

eyes to half tho facts of actual life and hinders the work of reform by declaring that "all's right with the .world"; that wants everyone to prophosy smooth and pleasant things, raid howls down those people who have the courage to utter unpleasant truths, Tviivcllevs who vtiluc thoii' lives would have Httlo patience with a captain who inspected to bring his ship safely to povt by whistling merrily and pretending that- the dangers of rocks, fire, and storm % were quite imaginary. True optimism sms life steadily and sees it whole y and refuses to countenance that mischievous make-believe that shuts its eyes to the wrongs that stand in tho path of progress, instead of getting to work and clearing them away, The level-headed optimist knows that there is much in the world to cause serious anxiety, and that there are many evil tendencies which, if not checked, must end in disaster; but after weighing tho good iifjainst the evil, he'is able to Maintain tho confident hono that in the Jong run the good will prevail.