42 LITERARY VALUES 



When Schopenhauer says " riches are like sea 

 water ; the more you drink the thirstier you be- 

 come," the mind is instantly pleased by the force 

 and aptness of the comparison, and for the moment 

 ■we look upon riches as something to be avoided. 

 But is the analogy entirely true ? Sea water is to 

 be avoided altogether, even a single mouthful of it ; 

 but even Schopenhauer defends riches and the pur- 

 suit of riches. " People are often reproached for 

 wishing for money above all things, and for loving 

 it more than anything else ; but it is natural and 

 even inevitable for people to love that which, like 

 an unwearied Proteus, is always ready to turn it- 

 self into whatever object their wandering wishes or 

 manifold desires may for the moment fix upon." 

 Here the comparison will bear a closer scrutiny. 

 Wealth is indeed a Proteus that will take any form 

 your fancy may choose. " Other things are only 

 relatively good," the great pessimist further says ; 

 " money alone is absolutely good, because it is not 

 only a concrete satisfaction of one need in particu- 

 lar ; it is an abstract satisfaction of all." What, 

 then, becomes of its analogy to sea water, which 

 so mocks and inflames our thirst ? Even the re- 

 semblance in the one particular that Schopenhauer 

 had in mind is not true. To the great majority of 

 people wealth brings a degree of satisfaction ; they 

 give over its pursuit and seek the enjoyment of it. 

 When a man enters into the race for wealth, he is 

 unflagging in seeking it as long as his cup of life is 

 full ; but when the limits of his powers are reached, 



