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77
Management of Thoughts
The thoughts which have future consequences for their object are called
expectations, & upon these expectations no small part of a man's happiness depends.
If a pleasure is anticipated, & fails of being produced – a positive pain
takes place of the anticipation. For the designation of this pain
the French language furnishes nothing but a compound appellation
namely peine d'attente trompée; – the pain of frustrated expectation.
One word communicates the idea in English, namely the pain of disappointment.
And of such importance is this pain in the field of human
existence, – such its influence on the aggregate of happiness that it
constitutes a very great part of the foundation on which the whole branch
of the Civil Law is erected, – it is to the exclusion of disappointment that
the labors of legislation are in that department mainly directed.
Why do you give to the proprietor that which is his own, rather than to any
other person? Because by giving it to any other person than the proprietor
you would produce the pain of disappointment.
Dean Swift has given to this principle concentrated his notion of the necessity of excluding pain from this source in the vivacity of an
apophthegm; or rather he has added it to the beatitudes "Blessed is he which expecteth
nothing for he shall not be disappointed."
Hence the high importance of forming correct estimates of
what may be expected from mankind at large, in all those cases where their
conduct may influence your own well being
"If we would love mankind" says Helvetius, as before quoted "we ought
to expect little from them" – & he might have added – if we love ourselves.
The less sanguine are our expectations that others will sacrifice their pleasures to
our pleasures the less shall we be exposed to disappointment, – & the less will be
the sum of disappointment And if such sacrifices are really made to us by
others the more keen & exquisite will be our satisfaction, – whatever pleasure
the sacrifice made or the service done might render us, that pleasure will be
heightened by the pleasure of surprise, – & the pain of disappointment be
replaced supplanted by a pleasure beyond expectation.
Now though in every part of the field of morals the
keeping in view the primary fact that the social feelings must inevitably
be subordinate to the self regarding is of the highest importance, – in this
particular part of the field, the necessity is more prominently obvious. Against
the pain of disappointment he also will be best able to preserve himself who
takes a correct and complete view of the necessity of that preponderance which
by the unalterable condition of human nature the force of self-regarding affection
is destined to maintain over social or sympathetic affection. The rights of property
be they what they may grow out of this source, – & indeed felt the whole machinery
of society is the recognition of the truth of the principle.
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Identifier: | JB/015/399/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
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deontology |
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recto |
f77 |
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sir john bowring |
j whatman turkey mill 1824 |
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jonathan blenman |
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1824 |
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