Page:Dawn of the Day.pdf/174

138 the whole intellectual activity, and throughout —many intellectual generations such a terrible purpose be steadily adhered to: pity, in the eyes of such people of hereditary pessimism, at last assumes a new value us a life-preserving force, to make existence endurable, though it may seem worthy of being thrown away in disgust and horror. Pity becomes the antidote of suicide, as a sensation which causes pleasure, and makes us taste superiority in small doses: it diverts the minds, makes the heart full, banishes fear and torpor, prompts words, complaints and actions; it is, comparatively speaking, a bliss, measured by the misery of the knowledge which, on all sides, hampers and obscures the individual, taking his breath away. But bliss, of whatever kind it may be, affords air, light and free movement. —Viewing our own experiences in the same light in which we are wont to view the experiences of others, is very comforting and an advisable medicine to loot, Conversely, to look upon and take the experiences of others, as if they were our own, the requisition of a philosophy of compassion, would ruin us, and in a very short time too; let us but make an experiment instead of leaving everything to our imagination! Besides, the former maxim is certainly more in accordance with reason and goodwill