THE PROBLEM OF HAPPINESS 



plain this paradox. We need but reflect on the dan- 

 gers to which every living thing is subjected to realize 

 that the creature without nerves would meet with in- 

 cessant injuries, which it would never learn to avoid, 

 because it would often be unaware of their existence 

 until too late. The nerveless child would never learn 

 to dread the fire; it would play with flame and ember 

 as with any other toy, to its ultimate undoing. 



Reasoning from analogy, the psychologist assures us 

 that the same thing is true of the mental and moral 

 worlds. Had there not been disagreeable obstacles 

 to overcome, painful experiences by which to be taught 

 and stimulated, the mind of man would never have 

 developed beyond the stage of mere passive sentience. 

 Again the moralist will assure us that without a per- 

 sonal knowledge of misery and sorrow, man could 

 never have developed the broad spirit of altruistic pity 

 that so largely determines the possibilities of civilization. 



We need have no quarrel with all this reasoning of 

 biologist, psychologist, and humanitarian. We need 

 not for a moment dispute their logic. But just as 

 little need we doubt that however necessary such 

 experiences may be for the race the chief hope for 

 the individual is to evade the harder side of life so far 

 as he may. Few men or women are better workers 

 in the world because they suffer from physical illness 

 or misfortune. However happy your environment 

 enough physical pain will come to you, enough sor- 

 row will invade your household, to develop those al- 

 truistic impulses that thousands of generations have 

 implanted in every mind. Exceptional cases aside, 



[7] 



