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264
Pleasures & pains – the sweets & the bitters of existence
cannot be estimated tried by the taste of another. What is good for another
cannot be judged estimated by the person intending to do the good but
by the person only to whom it is intended to be done. The
purpose of another may be to increase my happiness but
of that happiness I alone am the keeper, – & the judge.
His feelings are not my feelings – nor can they be – nor
can his feelings be in accordance with mine made to comprehend my feelings except in
so far as by observation or by frank communication on my part
he has mastered my springs of action – my pleasures &
my pains. But no observation of his & no communication
of mine can have made him as much the master subject as I am
of my own enjoyments & sufferings – & any pretence
on his part to understand them better is a freak of
usurpation.
Refrain then from doing good to any man
against his will – or even without his consent. Obtain
his consent beforehand, – or be sure of his subsequent
consent. If the good you propose to do be really such
as in his estimate of it will need add to his happiness,
no resistance on his part will there be to your
doing it. No man resists opposes an increase to his pleasures
when he sees reason to believe that the increase will
have place. And for your own his sake do not exhibit – & for your
own sake suppress – any annoyance that you may
feel by from his rejection of a good proffered by you.
Your forbearance will be more truly beneficent than
your persistance in a purpose of greater beneficence.
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Effective benevolence – positive
II. Actions
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Identifier: | JB/015/578/001"JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15. |
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015 |
deontology |
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578 |
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001 |
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linking material |
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recto |
f264 |
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sir john bowring |
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5794 |
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