Conduct II 



An intelligent being conducting himself and governing 

 his actions by the highest motives, will still be limited, how- 

 ever, by his inability to foresee consequences beyond a certain 

 distance. This distance will be greater or less, according 

 to his mental power and experience. He will be limited 

 similarly, after he has more or less clearly conceived his 

 desire, in his knowledge of how to perform it; and again 

 in his physical capacity to execute the plans which he may 

 prepare. Yet, notwithstanding these limitations, the im- 

 pulse to action remains, and the restraining influence is 

 still felt, and action of some sort cannot be evaded, except 

 by taking refuge in a passive attitude. But passive inaction, 

 when activity would benefit it, must be a neglect of the 

 opportunity. Inaction in such cases evidently is to be 

 regarded as conduct. It involves responsibilities, just as seri- 

 ously as does activity. Therefore it becomes clear that it is 

 not possible for any individual to evade the demand for 

 conduct or to escape the consequence of conduct. Every 

 creature is confronted by life problems and facts presenting 

 questions which it may avoid by retreat, or may solve, or 

 may ignore. According to the course selected certain events 

 will occur, and they will be thus made different from what 

 they might have been, and in that difference there will arise 

 benefit or injury. The will and power used wrongly will 

 produce harm, and the neglect of their use may permit 

 harm. Equally true it is that the power rightly exercised 

 will induce benefits, and its neglect will let those benefits 

 pass by. 



Upon these experiences and assumptions may be founded 

 a definition of conduct as the action and way of living of a 



