Page:Dawn of the Day.pdf/158

122 —How did reason come into the world? As is meet, in an irrational way, which we shall have to guess out like it riddle. —We laugh at any one who, stepping out of his chamber the very same minute as the sun steps out of his, says, “I wish the sun to rise", or who, thought unable to stop a wheel, says, “I wish it to roll"; or who, when thrown in wrestling, says, "Here I lie; but here I wish to lie!" Yet, despite all mockery, do we not act exactly like these three whenever we utter the words "I wish"? —We can think a great many more things than act and experience—that is, our thinking faculty is superficial and contents itself with the surface; nay, it does not even notice it. If our intellect had been developed in strict proportion to our strength and our exercise of strength, the topmost principle of our thinking would be that we can only understand that which we can do—if there is any understanding at all. The thirsty man is deprived of water, but the creations of his fancy continually produce water before his sight, as if nothing could be more easily procured; the superficial and easily satisfied nature of the intellect cannot grasp