130 Measurement of Belief. [CHAP. vi. 



a strong argument against the expediency of commencing 

 the study of the science from the subjective side, or even of 

 assigning any great degree of prominence to this side. 



That men do not believe in exact accordance with this 

 theory must have struck almost every one, but this has 

 probably been considered as mere exception and irregularity; 

 the assumption being made that on the average, and in far 

 the majority of cases, they do so believe. As stated above, 

 it is very doubtful whether the tendency which has just 

 been discussed is not so widely prevalent that it might with 

 far more propriety be called the rule than the exception. 

 And it may be better that this should be so: many good 

 results may follow from that cheerful disposition which in 

 duces a man sometimes to go on trying after some great 

 good, the chance of which he overvalues. He will keep on 

 through trouble and disappointment, without serious harm 

 perhaps, when the cool and calculating bystander sees plainly 

 that his measure of belief is much higher than it should 

 be. So, too, the tendency also so common, of underrating 

 the chance of a great evil may also work for good. By many 

 men death might be looked upon as an almost infinite evil, 

 at least they would so regard it themselves ; suppose they 

 kept this contingency constantly before them at its right 

 value, how would it be possible to get through the practical 

 work of life ? Men would be stopping indoors because if 

 they went out they might be murdered or bitten by a mad 

 dog. To say this is not to advocate a return to our instincts ; 

 indeed when we have once reached the critical and conscious 

 state, it is hardly possible to do so ; but it should be noticed 

 that the advantage gained by correcting them is at best but 

 a balanced one 1 . What is most to our present purpose, it 



1 An illustration of the points been given in a quarter where few 

 here insisted on has recently [1876] would have expected it ; I allude, as 



