LIFE AND HUMAN NATURE 



CHAPTER I 



INTRODUCTORY 



HUMAN nature is a subject that is studied by 

 everyone. It provides a philosopher with material 

 for the curious speculations of psychology ; but 

 it is not less interesting to the crossing-sweeper, 

 whose livelihood depends upon the disposition of 

 the passers-by. It may be vulgar to gossip : it 

 may be wrong to talk scandal ; but they fmve 

 charms that can hardly be resisted ; and to 

 many persons newspapers would be very dull 

 reading were it not for their personal paragraphs. 

 Human nature is the most attractive and the most 

 exciting element in politics : it is the source from 

 which dramatists, poets, and novelists draw nine- 

 tenths of their inspiration : painting and sculp- 

 ture are generally devoted to its illustration, and 

 even so abstract an art as music is in great 

 measure content to express the phases of human 

 emotion. Nor need we marvel that human 

 nature should be so engrossing a study. Our 

 happiness is conditioned by the way in which 

 others behave towards us. We win success in life 

 by our ability to read and to influence the 

 character of others. And, apart from these 

 practical interests, human nature attracts our 

 regard by a particular fascination. It is so extra- 

 ordinarily variable, it abounds in such astonishing 



