PICTURING THE IDEAL 173 



something more perfect. And this idea we bring 

 out from time to time from its seclusion and set up 

 before us as an end to aim at. 



Sometimes we deliberately try to draw the out- 

 lines of this ideal more definitely. Each of us will 

 picture a slightly different ideal to the rest. The 

 ideal men will differ just as much as actual men, 

 and the ideal countries as much as actual countries. 

 No two will be exactly alike. And each of us will 

 probably make his ideal man very different from 

 himself perhaps the exact opposite, for each will 

 be peculiarly conscious of his own imperfections and 

 shortcomings. 



But if the ideal man which each sets up differs 

 in small particulars from what others set up, the 

 general outline of all will probably be very much the 

 same, as men in general are much the same when 

 compared with other animals. All will be based on 

 the idea of fellowship. So aided by examples chosen 

 from among our friends, we may here attempt to 

 build up an ideal type of man. For the effort will 

 help us to realise better both what Nature is aiming 

 at and how she works. 



Formerly we might have drawn this ideal man 

 upright, straight, rigid, unbending. More recently 

 we might have drawn him as a super-man, the 

 fittest-to-survive kind of man, all muscular will, 

 intent only on bending every other will to his and 

 crashing relentlessly on through life like a bison in 

 the forest. But nowadays we want a man with the 

 same reliability as the upright type, but with grace 

 and suppleness in place of rigidity ; and with the 

 same strength as the super-man, but with gentle- 



