THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF SELF. 327 



melody and harmony so much nearer home to us. This case may almost 

 be taken as typical for the other cases of self-love. On close examina- 

 tion, we shall almost always find that a great part of our feeling about 

 what is ours is due to the fact that we lice closer to our own things, and 

 so feel them more thoroughly and deeply. As a friend of mine was 

 about to marry, he often bored me by the repeated and minute way in 

 which he would discuss the details of his new household arrangements. 

 I wondered that so intellectual a man should be so deeply interested in 

 things of so external a nature. But as I entered, a few years later, the 

 same condition myself, these matters acquired for me an entirely differ- 

 ent interest, and it became my tm*n to turn them over and talk of them 

 unceasingly. . . . The reason was simply this, that in the first instance 

 I understood nothing of these things and their importance for domestic 

 comfort, whilst in the latter case they came home to me with irresistible 

 urgency, and vividly took possession of my fancy. So it is with man}'' 

 a one who mocks at decorations and titles, until he gains one himself. 

 And this is also surely the reason why one's own portrait or reflection in 

 themirror is so peculiarly interesting a thing to contemplate . . . not on 

 account of any absolute ' c'est moi,'' but just as with the music played 

 by ourselves. What greets our eyes is what we know best, most deeply 

 understand; because we ourselves have felt it and lived through it. We 

 know what has ploughed these furrows, deepened these shadows, 

 blanched this hair ; and other faces may be hand.somer, but none can 

 speak to us or interest us like this." * 



Moreover, this author goes on to sIioav that our own 

 things are fuller for us than those of others because of the 

 memories they awaken and the i^ractical hopes and expecta 

 tions they arouse. This alone woukl emphasize them, aj^art 

 from any value derived from their belonging to ourselves, 

 "We may conclude with him, then, that an original central 

 self-feeling can never explain the passionate loarinth of our self- 

 regarding emotions, loMch must, on the contrary, he addressed 

 directly to special things less abstract and empty of content. To 

 these tilings the name of ' self ' may he given, or to our conduct 

 towards them the name of ' selfishness,' htit neither in the self 

 nor the selfishness does the pure Thinker play the 'title-role.' 



Only one more point connected with our self-regard need 

 be mentioned. We have spoken of it so far as active in- 

 stinct or emotion. It remains to speak of it as cold intel- 

 lectual self-estimation. We may weigh our own Me in the 



* Psychologische Analysen auf Physiolfjgisclier Grundlage. Theil ii. 

 nte Hiilfte, § 11. Tlie whole section ought to be read. 



