,,the ,,mental ,,efficiency ,,series ,,common ,,sense ,,how ,,to ,,exercise ,,it ,by ,,yoritomo-,,tashi ,,annotated ,,by3 ,b4 ,,dangennes ,,translated ,,by3 ,,mme4 ,,leon ,j4 ,,berthelot ,,de ,,la ,,boilevebib #aiaf ,,announcement ,the quality popularly designated as ,common ,sense comprehends1 according to the modern point of view1 the sound judgment of mankind when reflecting upon problems of truth and conduct without bias from logical subtleties or selfish interests4 ,it is one of ,nature's priceless gifts2 an income in itself1 it is as valuable as its application is rare4 ,how often we hear the expression ,why1 ,i never thought of that6 ,why8 ,because we have failed to exercise ,common ,sense--that genius of mankind1 which1 when properly directed is the one attribute that will carry man and his kind successfully through the perplexities of life4 ,common ,sense is as a plant of delicate growth1 in need of careful training and continued watching so that it may bear fruit at all seasons4 ,in the teachings that follow1 the venerable ,shogun1 ,yoritomo-,tashi1 points out that ,common ,sense is a composite product consisting of 7#a7 ,perception2 7#b7 ,memory2 7#c7 ,thought2 7#d7 ,alertness2 7#e7 ,deduction2 7#f7 ,foresight2 7#g7 ,reason1 and 7#h7 ,judgment4 ,discussing each of these separately1 he indicates their relations and how they may be successfully employed4 ,further1 he warns one against the dangers that lurk in moral inertia1 indifference1 sentimentality1 egotism1 etc4 ,common ,sense is a quality that must be developed if it is to be utilized to the full of its practical value4 ,indispensable to this development are such qualifications--7#a7 ,ability to grasp situations2 7#b7 ,ability to concentrate the mind2 7#c7 ,keenness of perception2 7#d7 ,exercise of the reasoning power2 7#e7 ,power of approximation2 7#f7 ,calmness2 7#g7 ,self-control1 etc4 ,once mastered1 these qualifications enable one to reap the reward of a fine and an exalted sense1 and of a practical common sense which sees things as they are and does things as they should be done4 ,the desire for knowledge1 like the thirst for wealth1 increases by acquisition1 but as ,bishop ,lee has told us1 ,knowledge without common sense is folly2 without method it is waste2 without kindness it is fanaticism2 without religion it is death4 ,but1 ,dean ,farrar added3 ,with common sense1 it is wisdom2 with method it is power2 with charity beneficence2 with religion it is virtue1 life1 and peace4 ,in these pages1 ,yoritomo-,tashi teaches his readers how to overcome such defects of the understanding as may beset them4 ,he shows them how to acquire and develop common sense and practical sense1 how to apply them in their daily lives1 and how to utilize them profitably in the business world4 ,to him common sense is the crown of all faculties4 ,exercised vigilantly1 it leads to progress and prosperity1 therefore1 says he enthusiasm is as brittle as crystal1 but common sense is durable as brass4 ,,the ,,publishers4 ,,preface ,why should ,i hesitate to express the pleasure ,i felt on learning that the public1 already deeply interested in the teachings of ,yoritomo-,tashi1 desired to be made familiar with them in a new form8 ,this knowledge meant many interesting and pleasant hours of work in prospect for me1 recalling the time passed in an atmosphere of that peace which gives birth to vibrations of healthful thoughts whose radiance vitalizes the soul4 ,it was also with a zeal1 intensified by memories of the little deserted room in the provincial museum1 where silence alone could lend rhythm to meditation1 that ,i turned over again and again the leaves of those precious manuscripts1 translating the opinions of him whose keen and ornate psychology we have so often enjoyed together4 ,it was with the enthusiastic attention of the disciple that once more ,i scanned the pages1 where the broadest and most humane compassion allies itself with those splendid virtues3 energy1 will and reason4 ,for altho ,yoritomo glorifies the will and energy under all their aspects1 he knows also how to find1 in his heart1 that tenderness which transforms these forces1 occasionally somewhat brutal1 into powers for good1 whose presence are always an indication of favorable results4 ,he knows how to clothe his teachings in fable and appealing legend1 and his exotic soul1 so near and yet so far1 reminds one of a flower1 whose familiar aspect is transmuted into rare perfume4 ,by him the sternest questions are stripped of their hostile aspects and present themselves in the alluring form of the simplest allegories of striking poetic intensity4 ,when reading his works1 one recalls unconsciously the orations of the ancient philosophers1 delivered in those dazzling gardens1 luxuriant in sunlight and fragrant with flowers4 ,in this far-away past1 one sees also the silhouette of a majestic figure1 whose school of philosophy became a religion1 which interested the world because it spoke both of love and goodness4 ,but in spite of this fact1 the doctrines of ,yoritomo are of an imaginative type4 ,his kingdom belongs to this world1 and his theories seek less the joys of the hereafter than of that tangible happiness which is found in the realization of the manly virtues and in that effort to create perfect harmony from which flows perfect peace4 ,he takes us by the hand1 in order to lead us to the center of that ,eden of ,knowledge where we have already discovered the art of persuasion1 and that art1 most difficult of all to acquire--the mastery of timidity4 ,following him1 we shall penetrate once more this ,eden1 that we may study with ,yoritomo the manner of acquiring this art--somewhat unattractive perhaps but essentially primordial--called ,common ,sense4 ,b4 ,,dangennes4 ,,contents ,announcement ,preface ,i4 ,common ,sense3 ,what ,is ,it8 ,,ii4 ,the ,fight ,against ,illusion ,,iii4 ,the ,development of the ,reasoning ,power ,,iv4 ,common ,sense and ,impulse ,v4 ,the ,dangers of ,sentimentality ,,vi4 ,the ,utility of ,common ,sense in ,daily ,life ,,vii4 ,power of ,deduction ,,viii4 ,how to ,acquire ,common ,sense ,,ix4 ,common ,sense and ,action ,x4 ,the ,most ,thorough ,business ,man ,,xi4 ,common ,sense and ,self-,control ,,xii4 ,common ,sense ,does ,not ,exclude ,great ,aspirations ,,lesson ,i ,,common ,,sense3 ,,what ,,is ,,it8 ,one beautiful evening1 ,yoritomo-,tashi was strolling in the gardens of his master1 ,lang-,ho1 listening to the wise counsels which he knew so well how to give in all attractiveness of allegory1 when1 suddenly1 he paused to describe a part of the land where the gardener's industry was less apparent4 ,here parasitic plants had1 by means of their tendrils1 crept up the shrubbery and stifled the greater part of its flowers4 ,only a few of them reached the center of the crowded bunches of the grain stalks and of the trailing vines that interlaced the tiny bands which held them against the wall4 ,one plant alone1 of somber blossom and rough leaves1 was able to flourish even in close proximity to the wild verdure4 ,it seemed that this plant had succeeded in avoiding the dangerous entanglements of the poisonous plants because of its tenacious and fearless qualities1 at the same time its shadow was not welcome to the useless and noxious creeping plants4 ,behold1 my son1 said the ,sage1 and learn how to understand the teachings of nature3 ,the parasitic plants represent negligence against the force of which the best of intentions vanish4 ,energy1 however1 succeeds in overcoming these obstacles which increase daily2 it marks out its course among entanglements and rises from the midst of the most encumbered centers1 beautiful and strong4 ,ambition and audacity show themselves also after having passed through thousands of difficulties and having overcome them all4 ,common sense rarely needs to strive2 it unfolds itself in an atmosphere of peace1 far from the tumult of obstructions and snares that are not easily avoided4 ,its flower is less alluring than many others1 but it never allows itself to be completely hidden through the wild growth of neighboring branches4 ,it dominates them easily1 because it has always kept them at a distance4 ,modest but self-sustaining1 it is seen blossoming far from the struggles which always retard the blossoming of plants and which render their flowering slower and1 at times1 short-lived4 ,a most absurd prejudice has occasionally considered common sense to be an inferior quality of mind4 ,this error arises from the fact that it can adapt itself as well to the most elevated conceptions as to the most elemental mentalities4 ,to those who possess common sense is given the faculty of placing everything in its proper rank4 ,it does not underestimate the value of sentiments by attributing to them an exaggerated importance4 ,it permits us to consider fictitious reasons with reservation and of resolutely rejecting those that resort to the weapons of hypocrisy4 ,persons who cultivate common sense never refuse to admit their errors4 ,one may truly affirm that they are rarely far from the truth1 because they practise directness of thought and force themselves never to deviate from this mental attitude4 ,abandoning for a moment his favorite demonstration by means of symbolism1 ,yoritomo said to us3 ,common sense should be thus defined3 ,it is a central sense1 toward which all impressions converge and unite in one sentiment--the desire for the truth4 ,for people who possess common sense1 everything is summed up in one unique perception3 ,the love of directness and simplicity4 ,all thoughts are found to be related2 the preponderance of these two sentiments makes itself felt in all resolutions1 and chiefly in the reflections which determine them4 ,common sense permits us to elude fear which always seizes those whose judgment vacillates2 it removes the defiance of the ,will and indicates infallibly the correct attitude to assume4 ,and ,yoritomo1 whose mind delighted in extending his observations to the sociological side of the question1 adds3 ,common sense varies in its character1 according to surroundings and education4 ,the common sense of one class of people is not the same as that of a neighboring class4 ,certain customs1 which seem perfectly natural to ,japan would offend those belonging to the western world1 just as our ,nippon prejudices would find themselves ill at ease among certain habits customary among ,europeans4 ,common sense1 he continues1 takes good care not to assail violently those beliefs which tradition has transmuted into principles4 ,however1 if direct criticism of those beliefs causes common sense to be regarded unfavorably1 it will be welcomed with the greatest reserve and will maintain a certain prudence relative to this criticism1 which will be equivalent to a proffered reproach4 ,common sense often varies as to external aspects1 dependent upon education1 for it is evident that a diamio 7,japanese prince7 can not judge of a subject in the same way as would a man belonging to the lowest class of society4 ,the same object can become desirable or undesirable according to the rank it occupies4 ,must one believe that common sense is excluded from two such incompatible opinions8 ,no1 not at all4 ,an idea can be rejected or accepted by common sense without violating the principles of logic in the least4 ,if1 as one frequently sees1 an idea be unacceptable because of having been presented before those belonging to a particular environment1 common sense1 by applying its laws1 will recognize that the point of view must be changed before the idea can become acceptable4 ,and again1 ,yoritomo calls our attention to a peculiar circumstance4 ,common sense1 he says1 is the art of resolving questions1 not the art of posing them4 ,when taking the initiative it is rarely on trial4 ,but the moment it is a case of applying practically that which ingenuity1 science or genius have invented1 it intervenes in the happiest and most decisive manner4 ,common sense is the principle element of discernment4 ,therefore1 without this quality1 it is impossible to judge either of the proposition or the importance of the subject4 ,it is only with the aid of common sense that it is possible to distinguish the exact nature of the proposition1 submitted for a just appreciation1 and to render a solution of it which conforms to perfect accuracy of interpretation4 ,the last point is essential and has its judicial function in all the circumstances of life4 ,without accuracy1 common sense can not be satisfactorily developed1 because it finds itself continually shocked by incoherency1 resulting from a lack of exactness in the expression of opinions4 ,if we wish to know what the principal qualities are which form common sense1 we shall turn over a few pages and we shall read3 ,common sense is the synthesis of many sentiments1 all of which converge in forming it4 ,the first of these sentiments is reason4 ,then follows moderation4 ,to these one may add3 ,the faculty of penetration2 ,the quality consistency4 ,then1 wisdom1 which permits us to profit by the lessons of experience4 ,a number of other qualities must be added to these1 in order to complete the formation of common sense2 but1 altho important1 they are only the satellites of those we have just named4 ,reason is really indispensable to the projection of healthy thoughts4 ,the method of reasoning should be the exhaustive study of minute detail1 of which we shall speak later4 ,for the moment we shall content ourselves by indicating1 along the broad lines of argument1 what is meant by this word reason4 ,reasoning is the art of fixing the relativeness of things4 ,it is by means of reasoning that it is possible to differentiate events and to indicate to what category they belong4 ,it is the habit of reasoning to determine that which it is wise to undertake1 thus permitting us to judge what should be set aside4 ,how could we guide ourselves through life without the beacon-light of reason8 ,it pierces the darkness of social ignorance1 it helps us to distinguish vaguely objects heretofore plunged in obscurity1 and which will always remain invisible to those who are unprovided with this indispensable accessory--the gift of reasoning4 ,he who ventures in the darkness and walks haphazard1 finds himself suddenly confronted by obstacles which he was unable to foresee4 ,he finds himself frightened by forms whose nature he cannot define1 and is often tempted to attribute silhouettes of assassins to branches of trees1 instead of recognizing the real culprit who is watching him from the corner of the wild forest4 ,life1 as well as the wildest wilderness1 is strewn with pitfalls4 ,to think of examining it rapidly1 without the aid of that torch called reason1 would be imitating the man of whom we have just spoken4 ,many are the mirages1 which lead us to mistake dim shadows for disquieting realities1 unless we examine them critically1 for otherwise we can never ascribe to them their true value4 ,certain incidents1 which seem at first sight to be of small importance1 assume a primordial value when we have explained them by means of reasoning4 ,to reason about a thing is to dissect it1 to examine it from every point of view before adopting it1 before deferring to it or before rejecting it2 in one word1 to reason about a thing is to act with conscious volition1 which is one of the phases essential to the conquest of common sense4 ,this principle conceded1 it then becomes a question of seriously studying the method of reasoning1 which we propose to do in the following manner but first it is necessary to be convinced of this truth4 ,without reason there is no common sense4 ,yoritomo teaches us that1 altho moderation is only of secondary importance1 it is still indispensable to the attainment of common sense4 ,it is moderation which incites us to restrain our impatience1 to silence our inexplicable antipathies and to put a break on our tempestuous enthusiasms4 ,can one judge of the aspect of a garden while the tempest is twisting the branches of the trees1 tearing off the tendrils of the climbing vines1 scattering the petals of the flowers and spoiling the corollas already in full bloom8 ,and now1 ,yoritomo1 who loves to illustrate his teachings by expressive figures of speech1 tells us the following story4 ,a ,japanese prince1 on awakening1 one day1 demanded lazily of his servants what kind of weather it was1 but he forbade them to raise the awnings which kept a cool1 dim light in his room and shielded his eyes from the strong light from without4 ,the two servants left him reclining upon his divan and went into the adjoining room1 where the stained-glass windows were not hung with curtains4 ,one of them1 putting his face close to a yellow-tinted pane of glass1 exclaimed in admiration of the beautiful garden1 bathed in the early morning sunlight4 ,the second one1 directing his gaze to a dark blue pane and1 looking through the center1 remarked to his companion1 ,i see no sunshine1 the day is dreary and the clouds cast gloomy shadows upon the horizon4 ,each one returned to relate their impressions of the weather1 and the prince wondered at the different visions1 unable to understand the reason4 ,there1 concluded the ,shogun1 that is what happens to people who do not practise moderation4 ,those1 who see things through the medium of enthusiasm refuse to recognize that they could be deprived of brilliancy and beauty4 ,the others1 those who look upon things from a pessimistic standpoint1 never find anything in them save pretexts for pouring out to their hearers tales of woe and misery4 ,all find themselves deceptively allured2 some rush toward illusion1 others do not wish to admit the positive chances for success1 and both lacking moderation1 they start from a basis of false premises from which they draw deplorable conclusions1 thus defeating future success4 ,the spirit of penetration1 according to the old ,nippon philosopher1 is not always a natural gift4 ,it is1 said he1 a quality which certain people possess in a very high degree but which in spite this fact should be strengthened by will and discipline4 ,one can easily acquire this faculty by endeavoring to foresee the solution of contemporary events2 or at least try to explain the hidden reasons which have produced them4 ,great effects are produced1 many times1 from seemingly unimportant causes1 and it is1 above all1 to the significant details that the spirit of penetration should give unceasing and undivided attention4 ,everything around us can serve as a subject for careful study2 political events1 incidents which interest family or friends1 all may serve as just so many themes for earnest reflection4 ,it is always preferable to confine this analysis to subjects in which we have no personal interest2 thus we shall accustom ourselves to judge of people and things dispassionately and impersonally4 ,this is the quality of mind necessary to the perfect development of penetration4 ,if1 for any reason1 passion should create confusion of ideas1 clearness of understanding would be seriously compromised and firmness of judgment1 by deteriorating1 would cast aside the manifestation of common sense4 ,the spirit consistency is perhaps more difficult to conquer1 for it is a combination of many of the qualities previously mentioned4 ,its inspiration is drawn from the reasoning faculty1 it cannot exist without moderation and implies a certain amount of penetration1 because it must act under the authority of conviction4 ,if you strike long enough in the same place on the thickest piece of iron1 in time it will become as thin as the most delicate kakemono a picture which hangs in ,japanese homes4 ,it is impossible to define the spirit of consistency more accurately4 ,it is closely related to perseverance1 but can not be confounded with it1 because the attributes of consistency have their origin in logic and reason which does not produce one act alone but a series of acts sometimes dependent1 always inferred4 ,the spirit of consistency banishes all thought derogatory to the subject in question2 it is the complete investiture of sentiments1 all converging toward a unique purpose4 ,this purpose can be of very great importance and the means of attainment multiform1 but the dominant idea will always direct the continuous achievements2 under their different manifestations--and these at times contradictory--they will never be other than the emanation of a direct thought1 whose superior authority is closely united to the final success4 ,wisdom1 continued the philosopher1 should be mentioned here only as the forerunner which permits us to analyze experience4 ,it is from this never-ending lesson which life teaches us that the wisdom of old age is learned4 ,but is it really necessary to reach the point of decrepitude1 in order to profit by an experience1 actually useless at that time1 as is always a posthumous conquest4 ,is it not much better to compel its attainment when the hair is black and the heart capable of hope8 ,why give to old age alone the privileges of wisdom and experience8 ,it is high time to combat so profound an error4 ,is it not a cruel irony which renders such a gift useless8 ,of what benefit is wisdom resulting from experience if it cannot preserve us from the unfortunate seduction of youth8 ,why should its beauty be unveiled only to those who can no longer profit by it8 ,this is the opinion of ,yoritomo1 who says3 ,what would be thought of one who prided himself on possessing bracelets when he had lost his two arms in war8 ,it is1 therefore1 necessary1 not only to encourage young people to profit by lessons of wisdom and experience1 but1 still further1 to indicate to them how they can accomplish the result of these lessons4 ,it is certain that he who can recall a long life ought to understand better than the young man all the pitfalls with which it is strewn4 ,but does he always judge of it without bias or prejudice8 ,does he not find acceptable pretexts for excusing his past faults and does he not exaggerate the rewards for excellence1 which have accorded him advantages1 due at times to chance or to the force of circumstances8 ,finally1 the old man can not judge of the sentiments which he held at twenty years of age1 unless it be by the aid of reminiscences1 more or less fleeting1 and an infinitely attenuated intensity of representation4 ,emotive perception being very much weakened1 the integrity of memory must be less exact4 ,then1 in the recession of years1 some details1 which were at times factors of the initial idea1 are less vivid1 thus weakening the power of reason which was the excuse1 the pretext1 or the origin of the act4 ,this is why1 altho we may honor the wisdom of the aged1 it is well to acquire it at a time when we may use it as a precious aid4 ,to those who insist that nothing is equivalent to personal experience1 we shall renew our argument1 begging them to meditate on the preceding lines1 drawing their attention to the fact that a just opinion can only be formed when personal sentiment is excluded from the discussion4 ,is it1 then1 necessary to have experienced pain in order to prevent or cure it8 ,the majority of physicians have never been killed by the disease they treat4 ,does this fact prevent them from combatting disease victoriously8 ,and since we are speaking of common sense we shall not hesitate to invoke it in this instance1 and all will agree that it should dictate our reply4 ,then why could we not do for the soul that which can be done for the body8 ,it is first from books1 then from the lessons of life that physicians learn the principles underlying their knowledge of disease and its healing remedies4 ,is it absolutely indispensable for us to poison ourselves in order to know that such and such a plant is harmful and that another contains the healing substance which destroys the effects of the poison8 ,we may all possess wisdom if we are willing to be persuaded that the experience of others is as useful as our own4 ,the events which multiply about us1 ,yoritomo says1 ought to be1 for each master1 an opportunity for awakening in the soul of his disciples a perfect reasoning power1 starting from the inception of the premises to arrive at the conclusions of all arguments4 ,from the repetition of events1 from their correlation1 from their equivalence1 from their parallelism1 knowledge will be derived and will be productive of good results1 in proportion as egotistical sentiment is eliminated from them2 and slowly1 with the wisdom acquired by experience1 common sense will manifest itself tranquil and redoubtable1 working always for the accomplishment of good as does everything which is the emblem of strength and peace4 ,,lesson ,,ii ,,the ,,fight ,,against ,,illusion ,common ,sense such as we have just described it1 according to ,yoritomo1 is the absolute antithesis of dreamy imagination1 it is the sworn enemy of illusion1 against which it struggles from the moment of contact4 ,common sense is solid1 illusion is yielding1 also illusion never issues victorious from a combat with it2 during a struggle illusion endeavors vainly to display its subterfuges and cunning2 illusions disappear one by one1 crusht by the powerful arms of their terrible adversary--common sense4 ,the worship of illusion1 says ,yoritomo1 presents certain dangers to the integrity of judgment1 which1 under such influence1 falsifies the comparative faculty1 and sways decision to the side of neutrality4 ,this kind of mental half-sleep is extremely detrimental to manifestations of reason1 because this torpor excludes it from imaginary conceptions4 ,little by little the lethargy caused by this intellectual paralysis produces the effect of fluidic contagion over all our faculties4 ,energy1 which ought to be the principle factor in our resolutions1 becomes feeble and powerless at the point where we no longer care to feel its influence4 ,the sentiment of effort exists no longer1 since we are pleased to resolve all difficulties without it4 ,in this inconstant state of mind1 common sense1 after wandering a moment withdraws itself1 and we find that we are delivered over to all the perils of imagination4 ,nothing that we see thus confusedly is found on the plane which belongs to common sense2 the ideas1 associated by a capricious tie1 bind and unbind themselves1 without imposing the necessity of a solution4 ,the man who allows himself to be influenced by vague dreams1 adds the ,shogun1 must1 if he does not react powerfully1 bid farewell to common sense and reason2 for he will experience so great a charm in forgetting1 even for one moment1 the reality of life1 that he will seek to prolong this blest moment4 ,he will renounce logic1 whose conclusions are1 at times1 opposed to his desires1 and he will plunge himself into that false delight of awakened dreams1 or1 as some say1 day-dreams4 ,those who defend this artificial conception of happiness1 like to compare people of common sense to heavy infantry soldiers1 who march along through stony roads1 while they depict themselves as pleasant bird-fanciers1 giving flight to the fantastic bearers of wings4 ,but they do not take into account the fact that the birds1 for whom they open the cage1 fly away without the intention of returning1 leaving them thus deceived and deprived of the birds1 while the rough infantry soldiers1 after many hardships1 reach the desired end which they had proposed to attain1 thus realizing the joys of conquest4 ,there they find the rest and security1 which the possessors of fugitive birds will never know4 ,those who cultivate common sense will always ignore the collapses which follow the disappearance of illusions4 ,how many men have suffered thus uselessly6 ,and what is more stupid than a sorrow1 voluntarily imposed1 when it can not be productive of any good8 ,men can not be too strongly warned against the tendency of embellishing everything that concerns the heart-life1 and this is the inclination of most people4 ,the causes of this propensity are many and the need for that which astounds is not the only cause to be mentioned4 ,indolence is never a stranger to illusion4 ,it is so delightful to foresee a solution which conforms to our desires6 ,for certain natures1 stained with moral atrophy1 it is far sweeter to hope for that which will be produced without pain4 ,one begins by accelerating this achievement1 so earnestly desired1 by using all the will-power1 and one becomes accustomed progressively to regard desires as a reality1 and1 aided by indolence1 man discounts in advance an easy success4 ,false enthusiasm1 or rather enthusiasm without deliberate reflection1 always enters into these illusions1 which are accompanied by persuasion and never combatted by common sense4 ,vanity is never foreign to these false ideas1 which are always of a nature to flatter one's amour propre4 ,we love to rejoice beforehand in the triumph which we believe will win and1 aided by mental frivolity1 we do not wish to admit that success can be doubted4 ,the dislike of making an effort1 however1 would quickly conceal1 with its languishing voice1 the wise words of common sense1 if we would listen momentarily to them4 ,and1 lastly1 it is necessary to consider credulity1 to which1 in our opinion1 is accorded a place infinitely more honorable than it deserves4 ,and now the sage1 ,yoritomo1 establishes the argument which1 by the aid of common sense1 characterized these opinions4 ,according to him1 ,it does not belong to new and vibrating souls1 as many would have us believe4 ,when credulity does not proceed from inveterate stupidity1 it is always the result of apathy and weakness4 ,unhappiness and misfortune attend those who are voluntarily feeble4 ,their defect deprived them of the joy derived from happy efforts4 ,they will be the prey of duplicity and untruth4 ,they are the vanquished in life1 and scarcely deserve the pity of the conqueror2 for their defeat lacks grandeur1 since it has never been aurioled by the majestic strength of conflict4 ,following this1 the ,shogun speaks to us of those whom he calls the ardent seekers after illusion4 ,one evening he related the following story3 ,some men started off for an island1 which they perceived in the distance4 ,it looked like a large1 detached red spot1 amid the flaming rays of the setting sun1 and the men told of a thousand wonders about this unknown land1 as yet untrodden by the foot of man4 ,the first days of the journey were delightful4 ,the oars lay in the bottom of the boat untouched1 and they just allowed themselves to drift with the tide4 ,they disembarked1 singing to the murmur of the waters1 and gathered the fruits growing on the shores1 to appease their hunger4 ,but the stream1 which was bearing them onward1 did not retain long its limpidity and repose2 the eddies soon entrapped the tiny bark and dragged the men overboard4 ,some1 looking backward1 were frightened at the thought of ascending the river1 which had become so tempestuous4 ,escaping the wreckage of the boat as best they could1 they entrusted themselves again to the fury of the waters4 ,they had to suffer from cold and hunger1 for they were far from shore1 and as1 in their imagination1 the island was very near1 they had neglected to furnish themselves with the necessities of life4 ,at last1 after the fatigues which forethought would have prevented1 they found themselves one evening1 at sundown1 at the base of a great rock1 bathed in the rosy light of the departing sun4 ,this1 then1 was the island of their dreams4 ,tired out and exhausted from lack of food1 they had only the strength to lie down upon the inhospitable rock1 there to die6 ,the disappearance of the illusion1 having destroyed their courage and having struck them with the sword of despair1 the rock of reality had proved destructive of their bodies and souls4 ,the moral of this story easily unfolds itself4 ,if the seekers after illusions had admitted common sense to their deliberations1 they would certainly have learned to know the nature of the enchanted isle1 and they would have taken good care not to start out on their journey which must terminate by such a deception4 ,would they not have taken the necessary precaution to prevent all the delays attendant upon travels of adventure1 and would they have entrusted their lives to so frail a skiff1 if they had acquired common sense8 ,we must conclude1 with ,yoritomo1 that illusion could often be transformed into happy reality if it were better understood1 and if1 instead of looking upon it through the dreams of our imagination1 we applied ourselves to the task of eliminating the fluid vapors which envelop it1 that we might clothe it anew with the garment of common sense4 ,many enterprises have been considered as illusions because we have neglected to awaken the possibilities which lay dormant within them4 ,the initial thought1 extravagant as it may appear1 brings with it1 at times1 facilities of realization that a judgment dictated by common sense can alone make us appreciate4 ,he who knows how to keep a strict watch over himself will be able to escape the causes of disillusion1 which lead us through fatal paths of error1 to the brink of despair4 ,that which is above all to be shunned1 said the philosopher1 is the encroachment of discouragement1 the result of repeated failures4 ,rare are those who wish to admit their mistakes4 ,in the structure of the mind1 inaccuracy brings a partial deviation from the truth1 and it does not take long for this slight error to generalize itself1 if not corrected by its natural reformer--common sense4 ,but how many1 among those who suffer from these unhappy illusions1 are apt to recognize them as such8 ,it would1 however1 be a precious thing for us to admit the causes which have led us to such a sorry result1 by never permitting them to occur again4 ,this would be the only way for the victims of illusion to preserve the life of that element of success and happiness known as hope4 ,because of seeing so often the good destroyed1 we wish to believe no more in it as inherent in our being1 and rather than suffer repeatedly from its disappearance1 we prefer to smother it before perfect development4 ,the greater number of skeptics are only the unavowed lovers of illusion2 their desires1 never being those capable of realization1 they have lost the habit of hoping for a favorable termination of any sentiment4 ,the lack of common sense does not allow them to understand the folly of their enterprise1 and rather than seek the causes of their habitual failures1 they prefer to attack ,god and man1 both of whom they hold responsible for all their unhappiness4 ,they are willingly ironical1 easily become pessimists1 and villify life1 without desiring to perceive that it reserved as many smiles for them as the happy people whom they envy4 ,all these causes of disappointment can only be attributed to the lack of equilibrium of the reasoning power and1 above all1 to the absence of common sense1 hence we cannot judge of relative values4 ,to give a definite course to the plans which we form is to prepare the happy termination of them4 ,this is also the way to banish seductive illusion1 the devourer of beautiful ambitions and youthful aspirations4 ,and1 with his habitual sense of the practical in life1 ,yoritomo adds the following3 ,there are1 however1 some imaginations which can not be controlled by the power of reasoning1 and which1 in spite of everything1 escape toward the unlimited horizons of the dream4 ,it would be in vain to think of shutting them up in the narrow prison walls of strict reason2 they would die wishing to attempt an escape4 ,to these we can prescribe the dream under its most august form1 that of science4 ,each inventor has pursued an illusion1 but those whose names have lived to reach our recognition1 have caught a glimpse of the vertiginous course they were following1 and no longer have allowed themselves to get too far away from their base--science4 ,yes1 illusion can be beautiful1 on condition that it is not constantly debilitated4 ,to make it beautiful we must be its master1 then we may attempt its conquest4 ,it is thus that all great men act2 before adopting an illusion1 as truth1 they have assured themselves of the means by the aid of which they were permitted first to hope for its transformation and afterward be certain of their power to discipline it4 ,illusion then changes its name and becomes the ,ideal4 ,instead of remaining an inaccessible myth1 it is transformed into an entity for the creation of good4 ,it is no longer the effort to conquer the impossible1 which endeavor saps our vital forces2 it is a contingency which study and common sense strip of all aleatory principles1 in order to give a form which becomes more tangible and more definite every day4 ,we have nothing more to do with sterile efforts toward gaining an object which fades from view and disappears as one approaches it4 ,it is no longer the painful reaching out after an object always growing more indistinct as we draw near it4 ,it is through conscious and unremitting effort that we attain the happy expression of successful endeavor and realize the best in life1 for slow ascension in winning this best leaves no room for satiety in this noble strife4 ,we must pity those who live for an illusion as well as those whose imagination has not known how to create an ideal1 whose beauty illumines their efforts4 ,it is the triumph of common sense to accomplish this transformation and to banish empty reveries1 replacing them by creating a desire for the best1 which each one can satisfy--without destroying it4 ,the day when this purpose is accomplished1 illusion1 definitely conquered1 will cease to haunt the mind of those whom common sense has illumined2 vagaries will make place for reason and terrible disillusion will follow its chief 7whose qualities never rise above mediocrity7 into his retreat1 and allow the flower of hope to blossom in the souls already filled with peace--that quality which is born of reason and common sense4 ,,lesson ,,iii ,,the ,,development ,,of ,,the ,,reasoning ,,power ,when reading certain passages in the manuscripts of ,yoritomo1 one is forcibly reminded of the familiar phrase3 ,nothing is definitely finished among men1 for each thing stops only to begin again4 ,he says1 ,that many centuries before the great minds constructed altars to the goddess of ,reason1 they were in search of a divinity to replace the one they had just destroyed4 ,if it were proposed to me to build temples which would synthesize my devotion with certain sentiments1 my desire would be that those dedicated to the ,will and to ,reason should dominate all others1 for then they would be under the protection of powers for good4 ,in a few pages further on he insists again and again upon the necessity of developing the worship of reason4 ,reasoning1 he continues1 is a divinity1 around which gravitate a whole world of gods1 important but inferior to it4 ,among this people of these idols1 so justly revered1 there is one god which occupies a place apart from the others4 ,this god is ,common ,sense1 which gave birth to ,reason1 and has always been its faithful companion4 ,it is1 in reality1 the controlling force exercising its power to guard reason against the predominating character and nefarious tendencies created by self-interest4 ,common sense compels reason to admit principles whose justice it has already recognized1 and1 at the same time1 incites reason to reject those whose absurdity it has demonstrated4 ,common sense allies itself with reason1 in order to make that selection of ideas which personal interest can either set aside entirely or modify by illogical inference4 ,reason obeys certain laws1 all of which can be united in one sentiment--common sense4 ,this statement could be illustrated symbolically by comparing its truth to a fan1 whose blades converge toward a central point where they remain fixt4 ,applying the precept to the picture1 the old ,shogun gives the design which we are faithfully copying4 ,in this ideal fan1 explains ,yoritomo1 not only the true reproduction of the qualities directing the progress of knowledge must be perceived1 but the symbol of their development must be traced4 ,all of these qualities are born of common sense1 to which they are closely allied1 unfolding and disclosing a luminous radiance4 ,altho each one may have its autonomy1 they never separate1 and1 even as a fan from which one blade has disappeared can only remain an imperfect object little to be desired1 even so1 the symbolic fan of reasoning1 when it does not unite all the required qualities1 becomes a mutilated power1 which can only betray the destiny originally attributed to it4 ,consequently1 starting from common sense as the central point of reasoning1 we find1 first1 perception4 ,this is the action by which exterior things are brought near to us4 ,perception is essentially visual and auditory1 altho it influences all our senses4 ,for example1 the fact of tasting a fruit is a perception4 ,the seeing of a landscape is equally one4 ,the hearing of a song is also a perception4 ,in a word1 everything which presents itself to us1 coming in contact with one of our senses1 is a perception2 otherwise1 the inception of an idea4 ,this is the first degree of reasoning4 ,immediately following is memory1 without which nothing could be proved4 ,it is memory1 which1 by renewing the motive power of reason1 allows us to judge of the proportion of things1 grasped by the senses in the present as related to those which come to us from the past4 ,without memory it would be impossible to make a mental comparison4 ,it would be most difficult to determine the true nature of an event1 announced by perception1 if an analogous sensation1 previously experienced1 had not just permitted us to classify it by close examination or by differentiating it4 ,memory is a partial resurrection of a past life1 whose reconstruction has just permitted us to attribute a true value to the phases of existence4 ,it is in preserving the memory of things that we are called upon to compare them and then to judge of them4 ,thought is produced immediately after perception1 and the recollection1 very often automatic1 that it creates within us4 ,it is the inception of the idea which it engenders by a series of results4 ,thought permits the mind to exercise its judgment without allowing itself to be influenced by the greatness or humility of the idea4 ,by virtue of corresponding recollections1 it will associate the present perception with the past representations1 and will take an extension1 more or less pronounced1 according to the degree of intellectuality of the thinker1 and according to the importance of the object of its reflections4 ,but rarely does the idea present itself alone4 ,one thought almost always produces the manifestation of similar thoughts1 which group themselves around the first idea as birds of the same race direct their flight toward the same country4 ,thought is the manifestation of the intellectual life2 it palpitates in the brain of men as does the heart in the breast4 ,it is thought which distinguishes men from animals1 who have only instinct to guide them4 ,it can be admitted1 however1 that this instinct is a kind of obscure thought for these inferior beings1 from which reflection is eliminated1 or1 at least1 reveals itself only as a vassal of material appetite4 ,but with creatures who have intelligence1 thought is a superior faculty1 which aids the soul to free itself from the bondage of vulgar and limited impressions4 ,when perception1 memory1 and thought unite to form judgment1 activity of mind will become necessary1 in order to accelerate the production of ideas in extending the field of imagination4 ,moral inertia is the most deplorable of all defects2 it retards intellectual growth and hinders the development of personality4 ,it is1 in this understanding1 the enemy of common sense1 for it will admit voluntarily a reasoning power1 existing per se1 rather than make the necessary effort which will set free the truth and constitute an individual opinion4 ,vulgarity is1 then1 almost always the sign of mental sloth4 ,it is not infrequent to see a mind of real capacity fall into error1 where an intelligence of mediocre caliber asserts its efficiency4 ,indifference is the most serious obstacle to the attainment of judgment4 ,common sense demands a keen alertness of understanding1 placed at the disposal of a reflection which appears at times slow of action1 but which is long in being manifested only because of the desire to surround itself by all the guaranties of truth concerning the object in question4 ,the fifth blade of the fan is the quality of deduction--the most solid basis for the judgments which are formed by common sense4 ,by deduction we are able to solve all relative questions with perfect accuracy4 ,it is by abstracting reckless contingencies1 and by relying only upon the relativeness of facts1 that we can succeed in discovering the truth that there are too many representations as to these facts4 ,deduction is the great support of mental weakness4 ,it helps in discerning proportions1 possibilities1 even as it helps in skilfully avoiding the fear of error4 ,we shall have occasion to speak more at length of deduction1 for ,yoritomo devotes many pages to it4 ,we shall1 then1 defer to a future chapter the interesting developments that he discloses on this subject1 and we shall continue to study the fan of common sense with him4 ,foresight1 he continues1 is rightly looked upon as one of the indispensable elements in cultivating common sense4 ,the faculty of foresight always accompanies common sense1 in order to strengthen its qualities of skill and observation4 ,one must not confound1 as many people are tempted to do1 foresight and conjecture4 ,the first consists in taking great care to prevent the repetition of unhappy facts which have already existed4 ,foresight will exert an influence on future events by establishing an analogy between them and the actual incidents which1 of necessity1 will lead to the adoption or rejection of present projects4 ,it is to be observed that all these faculties are subordinate1 one to the other1 and1 in proportion to the unfolding of the fan1 we can prove that all the blades previously mentioned have concurred in the formation of the blade of which we are now speaking4 ,in order to foresee disasters it is necessary that the perception--visual or auditory--of said disasters should already have imprest us4 ,we have kept intact the memory of them1 since it is reconstructed emotion which guides our thoughts4 ,these same thoughts1 in extending themselves1 form groups of thoughts harmonious in character1 all relative to the one1 which is the object of the debate4 ,our mind becomes more active in recalling the incidents1 the remembrance of which marks the time which has elapsed between the old perception and the present state of mental absorption4 ,the faculty of deduction1 which is born of these different mental conflicts1 permits me to foresee that circumstances of the same nature will lead to others similar to those we have already mentioned4 ,we have merely sketched rapidly the scale of sensations which follow each other1 in order to reach the explanation of how foresight is formed1 this faculty of which we are now speaking4 ,by assimilating these present facts with those of the past1 we are permitted to draw a conclusion1 relating to the same group of results1 because of the conformity of those past facts to the present questions4 ,foresight is passive2 between it and precaution there is the same difference as between theory and practise4 ,precaution is preeminently active1 and it marks its first appearance by means of foresight1 but does not stop in this effort until it has rendered foresight productive4 ,it is well to foresee1 but it is precious to preclude4 ,the second part of the act of precaution can1 however1 only be accomplished after having permitted the brain to register the thoughts which determine the first part of this act4 ,in order to understand this very subtle difference1 but very important one1 which classifies these two sentiments1 the old sage gives us the following example3 ,let us suppose1 he says1 that1 on a beautiful day in spring1 a man starts out for an excursion which will last until the dawn of the following day4 ,if he has common sense1 he will say to himself that the sun will not be shining at the time of his return1 that the nights of spring are cold1 and that this one will be no exception to the rule4 ,this is foresight4 ,if common sense1 with all its consequences1 takes possession of him1 it will increase his power of reasoning4 ,he will think that1 in order to avoid suffering from the change of temperature1 it would be well to cover himself with a cloak4 ,and1 even tho the sun shone1 he would not hesitate to furnish himself with this accessory1 which in fact will render him the greatest service4 ,this is precaution4 ,this quality is indispensable to the formation of the reasoning power2 for1 in addition to the necessity of foreseeing certain results1 it permits also of directing their course1 if it be impossible to exempt them completely4 ,reasoning is the art of developing1 to the highest degree1 the suppositions resulting from deduction4 ,one is usually mistaken as to the exact meaning of the words 'to reason1' and people seldom attach the importance to them which they should4 ,one is apt to think that the gift of reasoning is bestowed upon every one4 ,perhaps2 but to reason1 following the principles of justice and truth1 is an operation which can only be performed by minds endowed with common sense4 ,in order to arrive at this result1 it is essential to impress upon oneself the value of the words1 'to deduct accurately1' after having produced the radiation of thoughts which depend upon the object in question1 and to foresee the consequences of the facts that a resolution could determine4 ,above all1 to avoid contentment with the approximate1 which conceals many pitfalls under false appearances4 ,without permitting oneself to express useless trivialities1 not to neglect to become impregnated with those axioms which have been rightfully baptized1 'wisdom of nations4' ,they are generally based on a secular observation1 and are the product of many generations4 ,it would be puerile to attach vital importance to them1 but one would surely regret having entirely scorned their counsel4 ,too much erudition is at times detrimental to reason1 based on common sense4 ,altho fully appreciating science1 and devoting serious study to it1 one would do well to introduce the human element into his knowledge4 ,there are some essential truths which modify daily life without1 for this reason1 lessening their importance4 ,some of them are of premature development2 others are of miniature growth4 ,to reason without offending common sense1 it is1 therefore1 indispensable to consider time1 place1 environment1 and all the contingencies which could arise to undermine the importance of reasoning4 ,after having reviewed all these phases1 we shall then extend1 in accord with ,yoritomo1 the last blade of this rudimentary fan1 and we shall find judgment4 ,this one is the index to that quality of mind called conviction4 ,this mental operation consists in drawing together many ideas that their relative characteristics may be determined4 ,this operation takes the place contiguous to reasoning1 of which it is the result4 ,judgment determines its character after having registered the reasons which ought to indicate its position2 it deducts the conclusions imposed by the explanatory principle1 and classifies the idea by submitting it to the valuation placed upon it by judgment4 ,all judgment is either affirmative or negative4 ,it can never be vascillating nor neutral4 ,in this last case it will assume the title of opinion1 and will attribute to itself the definite qualities which characterize judgment4 ,it is1 however1 at times subjected to certain conditions1 where the principles on which it is based are not sufficiently defined1 and1 therefore1 becomes susceptible to a change1 either of form or of nature4 ,it is possible1 without violating the laws of common sense1 to establish a judgment whose terms will be modified by the mutation of causes4 ,but common sense demands that these different influences should be foreseen1 and that these eventualities should be mentioned when pronouncing the judgment4 ,we have reached the last blade of the symbolic fan1 described by the philosopher1 for many secondary qualities may be placed between the principle blades4 ,but faithful to his explanatory method1 he wished to indicate to us the broad lines first1 and also to state the indispensable faculties constituting common sense1 by teaching us their progression and development4 ,he desired to demonstrate to us also how much all these qualities would be lessened in value if they were not united and bound together in the order in which they ought to manifest themselves4 ,we have all possest1 said he1 some fans whose point of reunion was destroyed in part or altogether lost4 ,what becomes of it1 then8 ,during a certain length of time1 always rather short1 the blades1 after having remained bound together by the thread which holds them1 separate1 when it is severed because of the lack of harmony and of equilibrium at their base4 ,very soon1 one blade among them detaches itself1 and the mutilated fan takes its place in the cemetery where sleep those things deteriorated because of old age or disuse4 ,it is the same with the qualities which we have just enumerated4 ,as long as they remain attached to their central point1 which is common sense1 they stand erect1 beautiful and strong1 concurring in the fertilization of our minds1 and in creating peace in our lives4 ,but if the point of contact ceases to maintain them1 to bind them together1 to forbid their separating1 we shall soon see them fall apart after having escaped from the temporary protection of the secondary qualities4 ,for a while we seek to evoke them2 but recognizing the ruse existing in their commands1 we shall soon be the first to abandon them1 in order to harmonize our favors with the deceptive mirage of the illusions2 at least1 if we do not allow ourselves to be tempted by fallacious arguments of vanity4 ,in the one as in the other case1 we shall become1 then1 the prey of error and ignorance1 for common sense is the intelligence of truth4 ,,lesson ,,iv ,,common ,,sense ,,and ,,impulse ,impulsive people are those who allow themselves to be guided by their initial impressions and make resolutions or commit acts tinder the domination of a special consciousness into which perception has plunged them4 ,impulse is a form of cerebral activity which1 forces us to make a movement before the mind is able to decide upon it by means of reflection or reasoning4 ,the ,shogun deals with it at length and defines it thus3 ,impulse is an almost direct contact between perception and result4 ,memory1 thought1 deduction1 and1 above all1 reason are absolutely excluded from these acts1 which are never inspired by intellectuality4 ,the impression received by the brain is immediately transmuted into an act1 similar to those acts which depend entirely on automatic memory4 ,it is certain in making a series of movements1 which compose the act of walking upstairs or the action of walking from one place to another1 we do not think of analyzing our efforts and this act of walking almost limits itself to an organic function1 so little does thought enter into its composition4 ,in the case of repeated impulses1 it can be absolutely affirmed that substance is the antecedent and postulate of the essence of being4 ,substance comprises all corporal materialities3 instinctive needs1 irrational movements1 in a word1 all actions where common sense is not a factor4 ,essence is that imponderable part of being which includes the soul1 the mind1 the intelligence1 in fact the entire mentality4 ,it is this last element of our being which poetizes our thoughts1 classifies them1 and leads us to common sense1 by means of reasoning and judgment4 ,he who1 having received an injury from his superior1 replies to it at once by corresponding affront1 is absolutely sure to become the victim of his impulses4 ,it is only when his act is consummated1 that he will think of the consequences which it can entail2 the loss of his employment first1 then corporal punishment1 in severity according to the gravity of the offense2 lastly1 misery1 perhaps the result of forced inactivity4 ,on the contrary1 the man endowed with common sense will reflect in a flash1 by recalling all the different phases which we have described4 ,his intelligence1 being appealed to1 will represent to him the consequences of a violent action4 ,he will find1 in common sense1 the strength not to respond to an injury at once2 but will not forego the right1 however1 of avenging himself under the guise of a satisfaction which will be all the more easily accorded to him as his moderation will not fail to make an impression in his favor4 ,there is1 between common sense and impulse1 says ,yoritomo1 the difference that one would find between two coats1 one of which was bought ready-made1 while the other1 after being cut according to the proportions of the one who is to wear it1 was sewed by a workman to whom all the resources of his art are known4 ,if impulses adopt the same character for every one1 common sense adapts itself to the mind1 to the sensitiveness1 to the worth of him who practises it2 it is a garment which is adjusted to the proportions of its owner1 and1 according to his taste1 is elaborate or simple4 ,certain people have a tendency to confound intuition and impulse4 ,these two things1 really very different in essence1 are only related by spontaneity of thought which gives them birth4 ,but whereas intuition1 a sensation altogether moral1 concisely stated1 is composed of mental speculations1 impulses always resolve themselves into acts and resolutions to act4 ,intuition is a sort of obscure revelation1 which reason controls only after its formation4 ,impulse never engages common sense in the achievements which it realizes4 ,it never decides upon them in advance1 and almost always engenders regrets4 ,it is the result of a defeat in self-control1 which will-power and the power of reasoning alone can correct4 ,intuition is less spontaneous than impulse4 ,it is a very brief mental operation1 but1 nevertheless1 very real1 which1 very indistinctly1 touches lightly all the phases of reasoning1 in order to reach a conclusion so rapidly that he who conceives it has difficulty in making the transformations of the initial thought intelligible4 ,it is none the less true that intuition is always inspired by a predicted reflection1 but1 in spite of this fact1 an existing reflection4 ,impulse1 on the contrary1 only admits instinct as its source of existence4 ,it is the avowed enemy of common sense1 which counsels the escape from exterior insinuations that one may concentrate1 in order to listen to the voice which dictates to us the abstinence from doing anything until after making a complete analysis of the cause which agitates us4 ,some philosophers have sought to rank inspiration under the flag of impulse1 which they thought to defend2 yes1 even to recover esteem under this new form4 ,we should know how to stand on guard1 says ,yoritomo1 against this fatal error4 ,inspiration1 says he1 is rarely immobilized under the traits which characterized its first appearance4 ,before expressing itself in a work of art or of utility1 it was the embryo of that which it must afterward personify4 ,the ancients when relating that a certain divinity sprang1 fully armed1 from the head of a god1 accredited this belief to instantaneous creation4 ,if musicians1 painters1 poets1 and inventors want to be sincere1 they will agree that1 between the thought which they qualify as inspiration1 and its tangible realization1 a ladder of transformations has been constructed1 and that it is only by progressive steps that they have attained what seemed to them the nearest to perfection4 ,impulse1 then1 is only distantly related to inspiration and intuition4 ,let us add that these gifts are very often only the fruit of an unconscious mental effort1 and that1 most of the time1 the thoughts1 which in good faith one accepts as inspiration or intuition1 are only nameless reminiscences1 whose apparition coincides with an emotional state of being1 which existed at the time of the first perception4 ,there1 again1 the presence of reasoning is visible1 and also the presence of common sense1 which tries to convert into a work of lasting results those impressions which would probably remain unproductive without the aid of these two faculties4 ,impulses are1 most of the time1 the vassals of material sensations4 ,definite reasoning and impartial judgment1 inspired by common sense1 are rarely the possession of a sick man4 ,sufferings1 in exposing him to melancholy1 make him see things in a defective light2 the effort of thinking fatigues his weak brain1 and the fear of a resolution which would force him to get out of his inactivity has enormous influence upon the deductions which dictate his judgment4 ,before discussing the advantages of conflict1 he will instinctively resign himself to inertia4 ,if1 on the contrary1 his temperament disposes him to anger1 he will compromise an undertaking by a spontaneous violence1 which patience and reflection would otherwise have made successful4 ,it is possible also that a valiant soul is unable to obey a weak body1 and that instinct1 awakened by fear1 leads one on to the impulsive desires of activity4 ,inadequate food or excessive nourishment can produce impulses of a different nature1 but these differences are wholly and completely distinct as to character4 ,the most evident danger of impulses lies in the scattering of mental forces1 which1 being too frequently called upon1 use themselves up without benefiting either reason or common sense4 ,the habit of indulging in movements dictated only by instinct1 in suppressing all the phases of judgment leaves infinitely more latitude to caprice1 which exists at the expense of solid judgment4 ,perception1 being related to that which interests our passions1 by getting in direct contact with the action which should simply be derived from a deduction1 inspired by common sense1 multiplies the unreflected manifestations and produces waste of the forces1 which should be concentrated on a central point1 after having passed through all the phases of which we have spoken4 ,in addition1 the permanency of resolutions is unknown to impulsive people4 ,their tendency1 by leading them on toward instantaneous solutions1 allows them to ignore the benefits of consistency4 ,they are like unto a peasant1 said the old ,nippon1 who owned a field in the country of ,tokio4 ,scarcely had he begun to sow a part of the field when1 under the influence of an unhappy impulse1 he plowed up the earth again in order to sow the ground with a new seed4 ,if he heard any one speak of any special new method of cultivation1 he only tried it for a short while1 and then abandoned it1 to try another way4 ,he tried to cultivate rice2 then1 before the time for harvesting it1 he became enthusiastic for the cultivation of chrysanthemums1 which he abandoned very soon in order to plant trees1 whose slow development incited him to change his nursery into a field of wheat4 ,he died in misery1 a victim of his having scorned the power of consistency and common sense4 ,now ,yoritomo1 after having put us on our guard against impulses1 shows us the way to conquer these causes of disorder4 ,to control unguarded movements1 which place us on a level with inferior beings4 ,that is1 said he in making us dependent on one instinct alone4 ,this is1 said he1 to take the first step toward the will to think1 which is one of the forms of common sense4 ,in order to reach this point1 the first resolution to make is to escape from the tyranny of the body1 which tends to replace the intellectual element in impulsive people4 ,when ,i was still under the instruction of my preceptor1 ,lang-,ho1 ,i saw him cure a man who was affected with what he called ',the ,malady of the ,first ,impulse4' ,whether it concerned good actions or reprehensible ones1 this man always acted without the least reflection4 ,to launch a new enterprise1 which the most elementary common sense condemned1 he gave the greater part of his fortune in a moment of enthusiasm4 ,he allowed himself to commit acts of violence which taught him severe lessons4 ,finally1 vexed beyond measure1 dissatisfied with himself and others1 he so brutally maltreated a high dignitary in a moment of violent anger that the latter sent for him that he might punish him4 ,learning of this1 the man1 crazy with rage1 rushed out of his house in order to kill the prince with his own hand4 ,it was in this paroxysm of passion that my master met him4 ,like all impulsive people1 he was full of his subject1 and1 joining the perception of the insult to the judgment of it1 which his instinct had immediately dictated to him1 he did not conceal his murderous intentions4 ,my master1 by means of a strategy1 succeeded in dissuading him from accomplishing his revenge that day4 ,he persuaded him that the prince was absent and would only return to town upon the following day4 ,the man believed him1 and allowed himself to be taken to the house of ,lang-,ho4 ,but it was in vain that ,lang-,ho unfolded all his most subtle arguments4 ,neither the fear of punishment1 nor the hope of pardon1 could conquer the obstinacy which can always be observed in impulsive people when their resolution has not accomplished its purpose4 ,it was then that my master employed a ruse1 whose fantastic character brings a smile1 but which1 however1 demonstrates a profound knowledge of the human heart when acting under the influence of common sense4 ,during the sleep of his guest1 ,lang-,ho took off his robe1 replacing it by a garment made of two materials4 ,one was golden yellow1 the other a brilliant green4 ,after attacks of terrible anger1 in spite of the solicitation of his impulsive nature which incited him to go out1 he did not dare to venture into the streets in such a costume4 ,that which the most subtle arguments had been unable to accomplish1 was obtained through fear of ridicule4 ,two days passed2 his fury was changed into great mental exhaustion1 because impulsive people can not withstand the contact with obstacles for any length of time4 ,it was this moment which my master chose to undertake the cure1 in which he was so vitally interested4 ,with the most delicate art1 he explained to the impulsive man all the chain of sentiments leading from perception to judgment4 ,he caused common sense to intervene so happily that the man was permeated by it4 ,my master kept him near by for several weeks1 always using very simple arguments to combat the instinctive resolutions which were formulated in his brain many times a day4 ,common sense1 thus solicited1 was revealed to the impulsive one1 and appeared like a peaceful counselor4 ,the ridiculous and odious side of his resolution was represented to him with such truth that he embraced ,lang-,ho1 saying3 ',now1 ,master1 ,i can go away1 and your mind can be at rest about me4 ',the arguments of common sense have liberated me from bondage in which my lack of reflection held me4 ',i return to my home1 but1 ,i beg of you1 allow me to take away this ridiculous costume which was my savior4 ',i wish to hang it in my home1 in the most conspicuous place1 that1 from the moment my nature incites me to obey the commands of impulse1 ,i may be able to look at once upon this garment1 and thus recall your teachings1 which have brought sweetness and peace into my life4' ,all those who are inclined to act by instinct should follow this example1 not by dressing up in a ridiculous robe half green and half yellow1 but by placing obstacles in the way of the accomplishment of impulsive acts1 which the dictates of common sense would not sanction4 ,for those whose mind possess a certain delicacy1 again says the old master1 these obstacles will be of a purely moral order1 but for those who voluntarily allow themselves to be dominated by a diseased desire for action1 obstacles should adopt a tangible form2 the difficulty in conquering anything always makes impulsive people reflect a little4 ,under the immediate impression of the perception of an act they are ready for a struggle to the death2 but this ardor is quickly extinguished1 and inertia1 in its turn1 having become an impulse1 makes them throw far away from them the object which determined the effort4 ,in proportion as they encounter obstacles1 which they have taken the precaution to raise1 the encroachment of the impression will make itself less felt4 ,the mere fact of having foreseen will become a matter for reflection for them4 ,the feeling of the responsibilities will be roused in them1 and they will understand how difficult it is to escape the consequences of impulsive acts4 ,would one not say that these lines had been written yesterday8 ,more than ever our age of unrest makes us the prey of impulses1 and to the majority of our contemporaries1 the robe1 half green and half yellow 7by recalling to them the worship of common sense71 will become a fetish1 more precious than all the amulets with which superstition loves to adorn logic1 or to incorporate fantastic outline in the classic setting of beautiful jewels4 ,,lesson ,v ,,the ,,dangers ,,of ,,sentimentality ,the ,shogun says3 ,there are sentimentalities of many kinds1 some present less dangers than others1 but from every point of view they are prejudicial to the acquisition and exercise of common sense4 ,to cultivate sentiment over which the ,will has no control is always to be regretted4 ,sentimentality is multiform4 ,it presents itself1 at times1 under the aspect of an obscure appeal to sensuality and brings with it a passing desire of the heart and of the senses1 which produces an artificial appreciation of the emotion felt4 ,in this first case sentimentality is an unconscious manifestation of egotism1 because1 outside of that which provokes this outward manifestation1 everything is alienated and becomes indistinct4 ,the incidents of existence lose their true proportion1 since everything becomes relative to the object because of our preoccupation4 ,the impulse reigns supreme there when sentimentality establishes itself1 and the desire of judgment1 if it makes itself apparent1 is quickly shunned1 to the profit of illusory reasons1 in which pure reason does not intervene4 ,this sentimentality amalgamating the springs of egotism bereaves the soul's longing of all its greatness4 ,the anxiety to attribute all our impressions to emotion is only a way of intensifying it for our personal satisfaction1 at the expense of a sentiment far deeper and more serious1 which never blossoms under the shadow of egotism and of frivolous sentimentality4 ,never will common sense have the chance to manifest itself in those who permit such ephemeral and enfeebling impressions to implant themselves in their souls4 ,however they must be pitied because their artificial emotion often results in a sorrow which is not lessened by repetition1 but whose manifestation is none the less prejudicial to the peace of their being4 ,all those who do not harmonize common sense and the emotions of the heart become passive to the investiture of a sentimentality which does not wait to know if the object be worthy of them before it exists in consciousness4 ,from this state of mind arise disillusions and their recurrence entails a defect in the conception4 ,men who are often deceived in allowing themselves to feel a sorrow which is only based on the longings of sentimentality become pessimists quickly and deny the existence of deep and enduring affection judged from its superior expression4 ,this superior expression of sentiment is freed from all personality and such judgment which differentiates it from other sentiments4 ,if we wished to appeal to common sense we should acknowledge1 too often1 that in the search for expansion we have only recognized the opportunity to satisfy the inclination which urges us to seek for pleasure4 ,sentiment reasons1 and is capable of devotion4 ,sentimentality excludes reflective thought and ignores generosity4 ,we are capable of sacrificing ourselves for sentiment4 ,sentimentality exacts the sacrifice of others4 ,therefore1 profiting by the principles already developed1 he who cultivates common sense will never fail to reason in the following manner3 ,opening the symbolic fan1 he will encounter1 after perfection1 the memory which will suggest to him the recollections of personal and strange experiences and he will record this fact3 abegation is rarely encountered4 ,the inclination of our thoughts will suggest to us the difficulties there are in searching for it4 ,deduction will acquaint us with the temerity of this exaction1 and precaution will attract our thoughts to the possibility of suffering which could proceed from disillusion4 ,following this1 reasoning and judgment will intervene in order to hasten the conclusion formulated by common sense4 ,it follows then that1 abnegation being so rare1 common sense indicates to me that it would be imprudent for me to allow my happiness to rest upon the existence of a thing so exceptional4 ,for this reason this sentimental defect will find common sense armed against this eventuality4 ,there is another form or sentimentality not less common4 ,it is that which extends itself to all the circumstances of life and transforms true pity into a false sensibility1 the exaggeration of which deteriorates the true value of things4 ,those who give publicity to this form of sentiment are agitated 7or imagine themselves to be agitated7 as profoundly on the most futile of pretexts as for the most important cause4 ,they do not think to ask themselves if their ardor is merited2 also every such experience1 taking out of them something of their inner selves1 leaves them enfeebled and stranded4 ,every excursion into the domain of sentimentality is particularly dangerous1 for tourists always fail to carry with them the necessary coinage which one calls common sense4 ,after having put ourselves on guard against the surprizes of mental exaggeration1 ,yoritomo warns us of a kind of high respectable sentimentality which we possess1 that is none the less censurable because under an exterior of the purest tenderness it conceals a profound egotism4 ,it concerns paternal love from which reasoning and common sense are excluded4 ,nothing said he1 seems more noble than the love of parents for their children1 and no sentiment is more august when it is comprehended in all its grandeur4 ,but how many people are apt to distinguish it from an egotistical sentimentality4 ,i have seen some mothers oppose the departure of their sons1 preferring to oblige them to lead an obscure existence near to them1 rather than impose upon themselves the sorrow of a separation4 ,these women do not fail to condemn the action of others1 who1 filled with a sublime abnegation1 allow their children to depart1 hiding from them the tears which they shed1 because they have the conviction of seeing them depart for the fortune and the happiness which they feel themselves unable to offer them4 ,which of these are worthy of admiration8 ,those who condemn their children to a life of mediocrity in order to obey an egotistical sentimentality1 or those who1 with despair in their hearts1 renounce the joy of their presence1 and think only of their own grief in order to build upon it the happiness of their dear ones4 ,the common sense of this latter class inspiring in them this magnificent sentiment1 and forcing them to set aside a sentimentality which is1 in reality1 only the caricature of sentiment1 has permitted them to escape that special kind of egotism1 which could be defined thus3 ,the translation of a desire for personal contentment4 ,ought we then to blame others so strongly8 ,it is necessary1 above all1 to teach them to reason about the ardor of their emotions1 and only to follow them when they find that they are cleansed from all aspiration which is not a pledge of devotion4 ,now the ,shogun speaks to us with that subtlety of analysis which is characteristic and refers to a kind of sentimentality the most frequent and the least excusable4 ,there are1 he tells us1 a number of people who1 without knowing that they offend common sense in a most indefensible manner1 invoke sentimentality in order to dispense with exercising the most vulgar pity1 to the profit of their neighbor4 ,a prince1 he continues1 possest a large8 tract of land which he had put under grain4 ,for the harvest1 a large number of peasants and laborers were employed and each one lived on the products of his labor4 ,but a prolonged drought threatened the crop2 so the prince's overseer dismissed most of the laborers1 who failed to find employment in the parched country4 ,soon hunger threatened the inmates of the miserable dwellings1 and sickness1 its inseparable companion1 did not fail to follow4 ,facing the conditions the prince left1 and had it not been for two or three wealthy and charitable people the laborers would have starved to death4 ,this pitiful condition was soon changed1 abundance replaced famine1 and the master returned to live in his domain4 ,but amazement followed when he addrest his people as follows3 ,here ,i am1 back among you1 and ,i hope to remain here a long time2 if ,i left you1 it was because ,i have so great an affection for all my servants and because even the bare thought of seeing them suffer caused me unbearable sorrow4 ,i am not among those who are sufficiently hard-hearted to be able to take care of sick and suffering people and to be a witness of their martyrdom4 ,my pity is too keen to permit of my beholding this spectacle2 this is why ,i had to leave to others1 less sensitive1 the burden of care which my too tender heart was unable to lavish on you4 ,and that which is more terrible is that this man believed what he said4 ,he did not understand the monstrous rent which he made in the robe of common sense1 by declaring that he had committed the vilest act of cruelty due to excessive sensitiveness since it represented a murderous act of omission4 ,examples of this form of sentimentality are more numerous than we think4 ,there exist people who cover their dogs with caresses1 gorging them with dainties1 and will take good care not to succor the needy4 ,others faint away at sight of an accident and never think of giving aid to the wounded4 ,one may observe that for people exercising sentimentality at the expense of common sense1 the greatest catastrophe in intensity1 if it be far away from us1 diminishes1 while the merest incident1 a little out of the ordinary1 affects them in a most immoderate manner if it be produced in the circle of their acquaintances4 ,it is needless to add that1 if it touches them directly1 it becomes an unparalleled calamity2 it seems that the rest of the world must be troubled by it4 ,this propensity toward pitying oneself unreasonably about little things which relate to one directly and this exaggerated development of a sterile sentimentality are almost always artificial1 and the instinct of self-preservation very often aids in their extermination4 ,among my old disciples1 pursues the ,shogun1 ,i had a friend whose son was afflicted by this kind of sentimentality1 the sight of blood made him faint and he was incapable of aiding any one whomsoever2 that which he called his good heart1 and which was only a form of egotistical sentimentality1 prevented him from looking at the suffering of others4 ,one day1 a terrible earthquake destroyed his palace2 he escaped1 making his way through the ruins and roughly pushing aside the wounded who told about it afterward4 ,i saw him some days after2 instead of reproaching him severely for his conduct1 ,i endeavored to make him see how false was his conception of pity1 since1 not only had he not fainted at the sight of those who1 half-dead1 were groaning1 but he had found in the egotistical sentiment of self-preservation the strength to struggle against those who clung to him1 beseeching him for help4 ,i demonstrated to him the evident contradiction of his instinctive cruelty to the sentimentality that it pleased him to make public4 ,i made an appeal to common sense1 in order to prove to him the attitude which he had1 until then1 assumed1 and ,i had the joy of seeing myself understood4 ,my arguments appealed to his mentality1 and always afterward1 when he had the opportunity to bring puerile sentimentality and common sense face to face1 he forced himself to appeal to that quality1 which in revealing to him the artifice of the sentiment which animated him1 cured him of false sensibility1 which he had displayed up to that time4 ,sentimentality is in reality only a conception of egotism1 under the different forms which it adopts4 ,yoritomo proves it to us again1 in speaking of the weakness of certain teachers1 who1 under the pretext of avoiding trouble1 allow their children to follow their defective inclinations4 ,it is by an instinctive hatred of effort that parents forbid themselves to make their children cry when reprimanding them1 said he4 ,if the parents wish to be sincere to themselves1 they will perceive that the sorrow in seeing their children's tears flow1 plays a very small part in their preconceived idea of indulgence4 ,it is in order to economize their own nervous energy or to avoid cleverly the trouble of continued teaching1 that they hesitate to provoke these imaginary miseries1 the manifestation of which is caused by the great weakness of the teachers4 ,common sense1 nevertheless1 ought to make them understand that it is preferable to allow the little ones to shed a few tears1 which are quickly dried1 rather than to tolerate a deplorable propensity for these habits which1 later in life1 will cause them real anxiety4 ,and the philosopher concludes3 ,a very little reasoning could suffice to convince one of the dangers of sentimentality1 if the persons who devote themselves entirely to it consented to reflect1 by frankly agreeing to the true cause which produces it4 ,they would discover in this false pity the desire not to disturb their own tranquility4 ,they would also perceive that1 in order to spare themselves a few unpleasant moments in the present they are preparing for themselves great sorrow for the future4 ,in parental affection1 as in friendship or in the emotions of love1 sentimentality is none other than an exaggerated amplification of the ego4 ,if it be true that all our acts1 even those most worthy of approbation1 can react in our personality1 at least it is necessary that we should be logical and that1 in order to create for ourselves a partial happiness or to avoid a temporary annoyance1 we should not prepare for ourselves an existence1 outlined by deception and fruitless regrets4 ,sentimentality and its derivatives1 puerile pity and false sensitiveness1 can create illusion for those who do not practise the art of reasoning1 but the friends of common sense do not hesitate to condemn them for it4 ,in spite of the glitter in which it parades itself1 sentimentality will never be anything but the dross of true sentiment4 ,,lesson ,,vi ,,the ,,utility ,,of ,,common ,,sense ,,in ,,daily ,,life ,as our philosopher explains1 the influence of common sense is above all appreciation of daily events4 ,we have1 he continues1 very rarely in life the opportunity of making grave decisions1 but we are called upon daily to resolve unimportant problems1 and we can only do it in a judicious way1 if we are allowed to devote ourselves to certain kinds of investigation4 ,this is what may be called to judge with discrimination1 otherwise1 with common sense4 ,without this faculty1 it is in vain that our memory amasses the materials1 which must serve us in the comparative examination of facts4 ,and this examination can only be spoiled by decrepitude1 if common sense did not succeed in dictating its conclusions to us4 ,thanks to this faculty1 we possess this accuracy of mind which permits us to discern truth from falsehood4 ,it is this power which aids us in distinguishing what we should consider as a duty1 as a right1 or as a thing conforming to equity1 established by the laws of intelligence4 ,without common sense we should be like an inexperienced gardener1 who1 for want of knowledge1 would allow the tares to grow and would neglect the plants whose function is to nourish man4 ,in order to conform to the habit of judging with common sense1 one ought first to lay down the following principle3 ,no fact can exist1 unless there is a sufficient motive to determine its nature4 ,it is when operating on the elements furnished us by common sense that we are able to discern the quality of the object of our attention4 ,one day1 a sage1 whom people gladly consulted1 was asked by what means he had learned to know so well the exact proportion of things1 so that he never failed to attribute to them their real value4 ',why' they added1 'can you foresee so exactly the evil and direct us to that which is right and just8' ,and the superstitious people added3 ',are you not in communication with the spirits1 which float in space1 which come from the other world8 ,would you not be counseled by voices which we have not the power to hear1 and do you not see things which are visible to you alone8' ',you are right1' replied the saintly man1 smiling3 ',i have indeed the power to hear and to see that which you do not perceive2 but sorcery has no relation to the power which is attributed to me4 ,if you wish1 you will be able to possess it in your turn1 for my means are not a secret4 ',i keep my eyes and ears open4' ,and as every one burst out laughing1 believing it a joke1 the sage began again3 ',but this is not all2 after having seen and heard1 ,i call to my aid all the qualities which constitute common sense and1 thanks to this faculty1 ,i draw my conclusions from my experience1 from which enthusiasm1 fancy1 as well as personal interest are totally excluded4 ',this done1 and my judgment being formulated in my thought1 ,i adapt it to the circumstances1 and especially to the material situation and to the mentality of those who consult me4' ,from these counsels1 thinks the ,shogun1 we must draw a precious lesson4 ,it is true that an exigency1 physical or moral1 can determine1 in different individuals1 a very different resolution4 ,according to the manner of life adopted1 or the direction given to one's duties1 different resolutions can be made without lacking common sense4 ,it is indisputable that what represents social obligations does not demand the same conduct from the peasant as from the prince4 ,we should outrage common sense in presenting a workman with a gorgeous robe suitable for great ceremonies1 in which to do his work1 but reason would be equally outraged if one put on a shabby costume to go to the palace of the ,mikado4 ,the nature of resolutions inspired by common sense varies according to environment1 the time1 and the state of mind in which one is4 ,these conditions make of this quality a virtue really worth acquiring1 for it is more difficult to conquer than many others and its effects are of infinite variety4 ,but as always1 ,yoritomo1 after having signaled the danger1 and indicated the remedy1 gives us the manner of its application4 ,that which follows is marked by that simplicity of conception and facility of execution which render the doctrine of the ,nippon philosopher absolutely efficacious4 ,instead of losing himself by digressing from his subject and by placing himself on the summits of psychology1 he remains with us1 puts himself on the level of the most humble among us1 and says to us all3 ,the best way to use common sense in daily life consists in declaring one's honest intentions4 ,what should ,i do if ,i were in the place of the person with whom ,i am discussing8 ,i found myself one day on the slope of a hill named ,yung-,tshi1 and ,i remarked that the majority of the trees were stript of their foliage4 ,the season seeming to me not sufficiently advanced for this condition of vegetation1 ,i exprest my astonishment to a passer-by1 who replied to me3 ',alas6 ,this occurs every year at the same time1 and it is not well to cultivate trees on the height of ,yung-,tshi1 for the sun1 being too hot1 dries them up before the time when the foliage ought to fall4' ,a few days afterward my steps lead me on the opposite slope of the same hill4 ,there the trees were covered with foliage1 still green but uncommon1 and their appearance indicated an unhealthy condition of growth4 ',alas6' said a man who was working in the hedges to me1 'it is not well to cultivate trees on the height of ,tung-,tshi1 for the sun never shines there1 and they can only acquire the vigor they would possess if they were planted in another country4' ,and1 altho recognizing the truth of these two opinions1 so contradictory1 ,i could not help thinking that they were the reproduction of those which men1 deprived of common sense1 express every day4 ,the same hill produced a vegetation1 affected in different ways1 by reason of different causes2 and the people1 instead of taking into consideration how carelessly they had chosen the location of their plantation1 preferred to attribute the defect to the site itself1 rather than to their lack of precaution4 ,both of them were suffering from a hurtful exaggeration1 but each one explained it in a way arbitrarily exclusive4 ,he of the north made out that the sun never shone on the summit of ,yung-,tshi1 and the inhabitant of the south affirmed that the health-giving shade was unknown there4 ,this is why it is indispensable to the successful resolution of the thousand and one problems of daily life1 both those whose sole importance is derived from their multiplicity and those whose seriousness justly demands our attention1 to employ the very simple method which prescribes that we place ourselves mentally in the position and circumstances of the person with whom we are discussing4 ,if each one of the inhabitants of ,yung-,tshi had followed this precept1 instead of declaring that the hill never received the sun or that shade never fell upon it1 they would each one have thought for himself4 ,at what conclusions should ,i arrive1 if ,i had planted my trees on the opposite side8 ,from the reasoning which would have ensued1 the following truth would most certainly have been revealed4 ,if ,i were in the other man's place1 ,i should certainly think as he does4 ,this premise once laid down1 the conclusion would be reached2 all the more exact1 because1 without abandoning their arguments1 each one would present those which it is easy to turn against an adversary4 ,before solving a problem1 he who desires to avoid making a mistake must never fail to ask himself this question3 ,what should ,i do if my interests were those of the opposite party8 ,or1 yet again3 ,what should ,i reply if my adversaries used the same language to me as ,i purpose using when addressing them8 ,this method is valuable in that it raises unexpected objections1 which the mind would not consider if one had simply studied the question from one's own point of view4 ,it is a self-evident fact that1 according to the state of mind in which we are1 things assume different proportions in the rendering of judgment on them4 ,we must not argue as children do1 who1 not having the sense of calculating distances1 ask how the man standing near to them will be able to enter his house1 which they see far away1 and which seems to them of microscopic dimensions4 ,one departs from common sense when one attributes to insignificant things a fundamental value4 ,we neglect to consider it in a most serious way when we adopt principles contrary to the general consensus of opinion accredited in the environment in which we are living4 ,a high dignitary of the court1 says ,yoritomo1 would be lacking in common sense if he wished to conduct himself as a peasant and1 on the other hand1 a peasant would give a proof of great folly were he to attempt the remodeling of his life on the principles adopted by courtiers4 ,he who1 passing his life in camps1 wished to think and to act like the philosopher1 whose books are his principal society1 would cause people to doubt his wisdom2 and the thinker who should adopt publicly the methods of a swashbuckler would only inspire contempt4 ,in ordinary life1 one ought to consider this faculty of common sense as the ruling principle of conduct4 ,one can be lacking in thought1 in audacity1 in brilliant qualities1 if only one possesses common sense4 ,it takes the place of intelligence in many people1 whose minds1 unaccustomed to subtle argument1 only lend themselves to very simple reasoning4 ,a versatile mentality rarely belongs to such minds1 because it is not their forte to unfold hidden truths4 ,it walks in the light and keeps in the very middle of the road1 far from the ambushes which may be concealed by the hedges of the cross-roads4 ,many people gifted with common sense but deprived of ordinary intelligence have amassed a fortune1 but never1 no matter how clever he may be1 has a man known success1 if he has not strictly observed the laws of common sense4 ,it is not only in debates that the presence of this virtue should make itself felt1 but every act of our life should be impregnated with it4 ,there are no circumstances1 no matter how insignificant they may appear1 where the intervention of common sense would be undesirable4 ,it is only common sense which will indicate the course of conduct to be pursued1 so as not to hurt the feelings or offend the prejudices of other people4 ,there are great savants1 whose science1 freed from all puerile beliefs1 rises above current superstition4 ,they would consider it a great lack of common sense if they expounded their theories before the humble-minded1 whose blind faith would be injured thereby4 ,of two things one is certain3 either they would refuse to believe such theories and this display of learning would be fruitless1 or their habitual credulity would be troubled and they would lose their tranquility without acquiring a conviction sufficiently strong to give them perfect peace of mind4 ,even in things which concern health1 common sense is applicable to daily life4 ,it is common sense which will preserve us from excesses1 by establishing the equilibrium of the annoyances which result from them1 with reference to the doubtful pleasure which they procure4 ,thanks to common sense1 we shall avoid the weariness of late nights and the danger of giving oneself up to the delights of dissipation4 ,it is common sense1 says the philosopher1 which forces us at a banquet to raise our eyes to the hour-glass to find out how late it is4 ,it is under the inspiration of this great quality of mind that we shall avoid putting to our lips the cup already emptied many times4 ,common sense will reflect upon the mirror of our imagination the specter of the day after the orgy2 it will evoke the monster of the headache which works upon the suffering cranium with its claws of steel2 and1 at some future day1 it will show us precocious decrepitude as well as all bodily ills which precede the final decay of those who yield to their passions4 ,it will also impose upon us the performance of duty under the form which it has adopted for each individual4 ,common sense represents for some the care of public affairs2 for others those of the family2 for us all the great desire to leave intact to our descendants the name which we have received from our fathers4 ,for some of those still very young1 it is like a lover long desired6 ,for sages and warriors1 it blows the trumpet of glory4 ,finally1 common sense is the chosen purpose of every one1 courted1 demanded1 desired or accepted1 but it exists1 and under the penalty of most serious inconveniences it does not permit us to forget its existence4 ,coming down from the heights where he allows himself to be transported at times for a brief moment1 ,yoritomo tells us the part played by common sense with reference to health4 ,common sense he assures us1 is the wisest physician whom it is possible to consult4 ,if we followed its advice1 we should avoid the thousand and one little annoyances of illnesses caused by imprudence4 ,the choice of clothing would be regulated according to the existing temperature4 ,one would avoid the passing at once from extreme heat to extreme cold4 ,one would never proffer this stupid reflection3 ,bah6 ,i shall take care of myself1 which impudent people declare when exposing themselves carelessly to take cold4 ,we should understand that disease is a cause of unparalleled disorder and discord4 ,in addition to the thought of possible sufferings1 that of grief for those whom we love1 joined to the apprehension of a cessation of social functions1 on whose achievement depends our fortune1 would suffice to eliminate all idea of imprudence1 if we had the habit of allowing common sense to participate in all our actions of daily life4 ,to those who walk under its guidance2 it manifests itself without ceasing2 it dominates all actions without their being compelled to separate themselves from it4 ,it is unconsciously that they appeal to common sense and they have no need of making an effort to follow its laws4 ,common sense is the intelligence of instinct4 ,,lesson ,,vii ,,power ,,of ,,deduction ,before entering the path which relates directly to the intellectual efforts concerning the acquisition of common sense1 the ,shogun calls our attention to the power of deduction4 ,it is only1 said he1 where we are sufficiently permeated with all the principles of judgment that we shall be able to think of acquiring this quality1 so necessary to the harmony of life4 ,the most important of all the mental operations which ought to be practised by him who desires common sense to reign supreme in all his actions and decisions1 is incontestably deduction4 ,when the union of ideas1 which judgment permits1 is made with perception and exactness1 there results always an analysis1 which1 if practised frequently1 will end by becoming almost a mechanical act4 ,it is1 however1 well to study the phases of this analysis1 in order to organize them methodically first4 ,later1 when the mind shall be sufficiently drilled in this kind of gymnastics1 all their movements will be repeated in an almost unconscious way1 and deduction1 that essential principle of common sense1 will be self-imposed4 ,in order that deductions may be a natural development1 the element relating to those which should be the object of judgment should be grouped first4 ,the association of statements is an excellent method for it introduces into thought the existence of productive agents4 ,we have already spoken of the grouping of thoughts1 which is a more synthetical form of that selection4 ,instead of allowing it to be enlarged by touching lightly on all that which is connected with the subject1 it is a question1 on the contrary1 of confining it to the facts relating to only one object4 ,these facts should be drawn from the domain of the past2 by comparison1 they can be brought to the domain of the present in order to be able to associate the former phenomena with those from which it is a question of drawing deductions4 ,it is rarely that these latter depend on one decision alone1 even when they are presented under the form of a single negation or affirmation4 ,deduction is always the result of many observations1 formulated with great exactness1 which common sense binds together4 ,that which is called a line of action is always suggested by the analysis of the events which were produced under circumstances analogous to those which exist now4 ,from the result of these observations1 the habit of thinking permits of drawing deductions and common sense concludes the analysis4 ,the method of deduction rests upon this4 ,one thing being equal to a previous one should produce the same effects4 ,if we find ourselves faced by an incident that our memory can assimilate with another incident of the same kind1 we must deduce the following chain of reasoning3 ,first1 the incident of long ago has entailed inevitable consequences4 ,secondly1 the incident of to-day ought to produce the same effects1 unless the circumstances which surround it are different4 ,it is then a question of analyzing the circumstances and of weighing the causes whose manifestation could determine a disparity in the results4 ,we shall interest ourselves first in the surroundings for thus1 as we have said1 habits of thought and feeling vary according to the epoch and the environment4 ,a comparison will be established between persons or things1 in order to be absolutely convinced of their degree of conformity4 ,the state of mind in which we were when the previous events were manifested will be considered1 and we shall not fail to ascertain plainly the similarity or change of humor at the moment as related to that of the past4 ,it is also of importance to observe the state of health1 for under the affliction of sickness things assume very easily a hostile aspect4 ,it would be wrong to attribute to events judged during an illness the same value which is given to them at this present moment4 ,when one is absolutely decided as to the relation of new perceptions and mental representations1 one can calculate exactly the degree of comparison4 ,the moment will then have arrived to synthesize all the observations and to draw from them the following deductions3 ,first1 like causes ought1 all things being equal1 to produce like effects4 ,secondly1 the event which is in question will therefore have the same consequences as the previous one1 since it is presented under the same conditions4 ,or again3 ,being granted the principle that like causes produce like effects1 as ,i have just affirmed1 and that there exist certain incompatibilities between the contingencies of the past and those of to-day1 one must allow that these incompatibilities will produce different results4 ,and1 after this reasoning1 the deductions will be established by constituting a comparison in favor of either the present or past state of things4 ,but the philosopher1 who thinks of everything1 has foreseen the case where false ideas have obscured the clearness of the deductions1 and he said to us3 ,the association of false ideas1 if it does not proceed from the difficulty of controlling things1 is always in ungovernable opposition to the veracity of the deduction4 ,what would be thought of a man of eighty years who1 coming back to his country after a long absence1 said1 on seeing the family roof from a distance3 ',when ,i was twenty years old1 in leaving here1 it took me twenty minutes to reach the home of my parents1 so ,i shall reach the threshold in twenty minutes4' ,the facts would be exact in principle4 ,the distance to be covered would be the same2 but legs of eighty years have not the same agility as those of very young people1 and in predicting that he will reach the end of his walk in the same number of minutes as he did in the past1 the old man would deceive himself most surely4 ,if1 on the contrary1 on reaching the same place he perceived that a new route had been made1 and that instead of a roundabout way of approach1 as in the past1 the house was now in a straight line from the point where he was looking at it1 it would be possible to estimate approximately the number of minutes which he could gain on the time employed in the past1 by calculating the delay imposed upon him by his age and his infirmities4 ,those to whom deduction is familiar1 at times astonish thoughtless persons by the soundness of their judgment4 ,a prince drove to his home in the country in a sumptuous equipage4 ,he was preceded by a herald and borne in a palanquin by four servants1 who were replaced by others at the first signs of fatigue1 in order that the speed of the journey should never be slackened4 ,as they were mounting1 with great difficulty1 a zigzag road which led up along the side of a hill1 one of these men cried out3 ',stop1' said he1 'in the name of ,buddha1 stop6' ,the prince leaned out from the palanquin to ask the cause of this exclamation3 ',my lord1' cried the man1 'if you care to live1 tell your porters to stop6' ,the great man shrugged his shoulders and turning toward his master of ceremonies1 who was riding at his side1 said3 ',see what that man wants4' ,but scarcely had the officer allowed his horse to take a few steps in the direction of the man who had given warning when the palanquin1 with the prince and his bearers1 rolled down a precipice1 opened by the sinking in of the earth4 ,they raised them all up very much hurt1 and the first action of the prince1 who was injured1 was to have arrested the one who1 according to him1 had evoked an evil fate4 ,he was led1 then and there1 to the nearest village and put into a cell4 ,the poor man protested4 ',i have only done what was natural1' said he4 ',i am going to explain it1 but ,i pray you let me see the prince2 ,i shall not be able to justify myself when he is ill with fever4' ',what do you mean1' they replied1 'do you prophesy that the prince will have a fever8' ',he is going to have it4' ',you see1 you are a sorcerer1' said the jailer1 'you make predictions4' ,and then he shut him in prison1 to go away and to relate his conversation to them all4 ,during this time1 they called in a healer who stated that the wounds of the great nobleman were not mortal in themselves1 but that the fever which had declared itself could become dangerous4 ,he was cured after long months4 ,during this time the poor man languished in his prison1 from whence he was only taken to appear before the judges4 ,accused of sorcery and of using black magic1 he explained very simply that he had foreseen the danger1 because in raising his eyes he had noticed that the part of the ground over which the herald had passed was sinking1 and that he had drawn the following conclusions3 ,the earth seemed to have only a medium thickness4 ,under the feet of the herald he had seen it crumble and fall in4 ,he had deduced from this that a weight five times as heavy added to that of the palanquin1 would not fail to produce a landslide4 ,as to the prediction concerning the fever1 it was based on what he had seen when in the war4 ,he had then observed that every wound is always followed by a disposition to fever2 he therefore could not fail to deduce that the serious contusions occasioned by the fall of the prince would produce the inevitable consequences4 ,the judge was very much imprest with the perspicacity of this man2 not only did he give him his liberty1 but he engaged him in his personal service and in due time enabled him to make his fortune4 ,we do not wish to affirm--any more than ,yoritomo1 for that matter--that fortunate deductions are always so magnificently rewarded as were those of this man4 ,however1 without the causes being so striking1 many people have owed their fortune to the faculty which they possest of deducing results where the analogy of the past circumstances suggested to them what would happen4 ,he warns us against the propensity which we have of too easily avoiding a conclusion which does not accord with our desires4 ,too many people1 said he1 wish to undertake to make deductions by eliminating the elements which deprive them of a desired decision4 ,they do not fail either to exaggerate the reasons which plead in favor of this decision2 also we see many persons suffer from reasoning1 instead of feeling the good effects of it4 ,those who cultivate common sense will never fall into this error1 for they will have no difficulty in convincing themselves that by acting thus they do not deceive any one except themselves4 ,by glossing over truth in order to weaken the logical consequences of deductions they are the first to be the victims of this childish trick4 ,that which is called false deduction is rarely aught save the desire to escape a resolution which a just appraisement would not fail to dictate4 ,it might be1 also1 that this twisting of judgment comes from a person having been1 in some past time1 subjected to unfortunate influences4 ,by devoting oneself to the evolution of thought1 of which we have already spoken when presenting the symbolical fan1 and above all1 by adopting the precepts which1 following the method of ,yoritomo1 we are going to develop in the following lessons1 we shall certainly succeed in checking the errors of false reasoning4 ,the important thing1 said he1 is not to let wander the thought1 which1 after resting for a moment on the subject with which we are concerned and after touching lightly on ideas of a similar character1 begins to stray very far from its basic principles4 ,have you noted the flight of certain birds8 ,they commence by gathering at one point1 then they describe a series of circles around this point1 at first very small1 but whose circumference enlarges at every sweep4 ,little by little the central point is abandoned1 they no longer approach it1 and disappear in the sky1 drawn by their fancy toward another point which they will leave very soon4 ,the thoughts of one who does not know how to gather them together and to concentrate them are like these birds4 ,they start from a central point1 then spread out1 at first without getting far from this center1 but soon they lose sight of it and fly toward a totally different subject that a mental representation has just produced4 ,and this lasts until the moment when1 in a sudden movement1 the first one is conscious of this wandering tendency4 ,but it is often too late to bring back these wanderers to the initial idea1 for1 in the course of their circuits1 they have brushed against a hundred others1 which are confounded with the first1 weaken it1 and take away its exact proportions4 ,the great stumbling-block again is that of becoming lost in the details whose multiplicity prevents us from discerning their complete function in the act of practising deduction4 ,it is better1 in the case where our perception finds itself assailed by the multitude of these details1 to proceed by the process of elimination1 in order not to become involved in useless and lazy efforts4 ,in this case we must act like a man who must determine the color of a material at a distance where the tiny designs stand out in a relief of white on a background of black4 ,suppose that he is placed at a distance too great to perceive this detail4 ,what should he do to be able to give the best possible description8 ,he will proceed by elimination4 ,the material is neither red nor green2 orange and violet must be set aside1 as well as all the subordinate shades4 ,it has a dull appearance1 hence1 it is gray2 unless4444 ,and here mental activity comes into play and will suggest to him that gray is composed of black and white4 ,he will then be sure to form a judgment which will not be spoiled by falsity1 if he declares that the material is a mixture of black and white4 ,later1 by drawing nearer1 he will be able to analyze the designs and to convince himself of their respective form and color1 but by deducing that the material was made up of the mixture of two colors he will have come as near as possible to the truth3 ,deduction never prejudges2 it is based on facts2 only on things accomplished2 it unfolds the teaching that we ought to obtain as a result4 ,again the ,shogun recommends to us the union of thoughts and the continuous examination of past incidents in the practise of deductions4 ,if on entering a room1 said he1 we are at times confused1 it happens also that we correct this impression after a more attentive examination4 ,the gilding is of inferior quality2 the materials are of cotton1 the paintings ordinary1 and the mattings coarse4 ,at first sight we should have deduced1 judging from appearances1 that the possessor of this house was a very rich man1 but a second examination will cause us to discover embarrassment and anxiety4 ,it is the same with all decisions that we must make4 ,before devoting ourselves to deductions inspired by the general aspect of things1 it is well to examine them one by one and to discover their defects or recognize their good qualities4 ,we shall be able thus to acquire that penetration of mind whose development1 by leading us toward wise deductions1 will bring us to the discovery of the truth4 ,,lesson ,,viii ,,how ,,to ,,acquire ,,common ,,sense ,common ,sense is a science1 whatever may be said2 according to ,yoritomo1 it does not blossom naturally in the minds of men2 it demands cultivation1 and the art of reasoning is acquired like all the faculties which go to make up moral equilibrium4 ,this quality1 said the philosopher1 is obscure and intangible1 like the air we breathe4 ,like the air we breathe1 it is necessary to our existence1 it surrounds us1 envelops us1 and is indispensable to the harmony of our mental life4 ,to acquire this precious gift1 many conditions are obligatory1 the principle ones being3 ,sincerity of perception4 ,art of the situation4 ,attention4 ,approximation4 ,experience4 ,comparison4 ,analysis4 ,synthesis4 ,destination4 ,direction4 ,and lastly the putting of the question4 ,it is very clear that without exactness of perception we could not pretend to judge justly2 it would then be impossible for us to hear the voice of common sense1 if we did not strive to develop it4 ,perception is usually combined with what they call in philosophical language adaptation4 ,otherwise it is difficult1 when recognizing a sensation1 not to attribute it at once to the sentiment which animated it at the time of its manifestation4 ,the first condition1 then1 in the acquiring of common sense is to maintain perfection in all its pristine exactness1 by abstracting the contingencies which could influence us4 ,if we do not endeavor to separate from our true selves the suggestions of sense-consciousness1 we shall reach the point where perception is transformed into conception1 that is to say1 we shall no longer obtain reality alone1 but a modified reality4 ,with regard to perception1 if we understand its truthfulness2 it will be a question for reawakening it1 of placing ourselves mentally in the environment where it was produced1 and of awakening the memory1 so as to be able to distinguish1 without mistake1 the limits within which it is narrowly confined4 ,the art of situation consists in reproducing1 mentally1 past facts1 allowing for the influence of the surroundings at that time1 as compared with the present environment4 ,one must not fail to think about the influences to which one has been subjected since this time4 ,it is possible that life during its development in the aspirant to common sense may have changed the direction of his first conceptions either by conversation or by reading or by the reproduction of divers narrations4 ,it would then be a lack of common sense to base an exact recollection of former incidents on the recent state of being of the soul1 without seeking to reproduce the state of mind in which one was at the epoch when those incidents occurred4 ,activity of mind1 stimulated to the utmost1 is able to give a color to preceding impressions1 which they never have had1 and1 in this case again1 the recollection will be marred by inexactness4 ,the art of situation requires the strictest application and on this account it is a valuable factor in the acquirement of common sense4 ,attention vitalizes our activity in order to accelerate the development of a definite purpose toward which it can direct its energy4 ,it could be analyzed as follows3 ,first1 to see2 ,secondly1 to hear4 ,the functions of the other senses come afterward1 and their susceptibility can attract our attention to the sensations which they give us1 such as the sense of smell1 of touch1 of taste4 ,these purely physical sensations possess1 however1 a moral signification1 from which we are permitted to make valuable deductions4 ,the first two have three distinct phases3 ,first degree1 to see4 ,second degree1 to look4 ,third degree1 to observe4 ,if we see a material1 its color strikes us first and we say3 ,i have seen a red or yellow material1 and this will be all4 ,applying ourselves more closely1 we look at it and we define the peculiarities of the color4 ,we say3 it is bright red or dark red4 ,in observing it we determine to what use it is destined4 ,the eye is attracted by3 ,the color4 ,the movement4 ,the form4 ,the number4 ,the duration4 ,we have just spoken of the color4 ,the movement is personified by a series of gestures that people make or by a series of changes to which they subject things4 ,the form is represented by the different outlines4 ,the number by their quantity4 ,the duration by their length2 one will judge of the length of time it takes to walk a road by seeing the length of it4 ,the act of listening is divided into three degrees4 ,first degree1 to hear4 ,second degree1 to understand4 ,third degree1 to reflect4 ,if some one walking in the country hears a dog bark he perceives first a sound3 this is the act of hearing4 ,he will distinguish that this sound is produced by the barking of a dog2 this is the act of understanding4 ,reflection will lead him then to think that a house or a human being is near1 for a dog goes rarely alone4 ,if the things which are presented to our sight are complex1 those which strike our ears are summed up in one word1 sound1 which has only one definition1 the quality of the sound4 ,then follow the innumerable categories of sound that we distinguish only by means of comprehension and reflection1 rendered so instinctive by habit that we may call them automatic1 so far as those which relate to familiar sounds4 ,the example which we have just given is a proof of this fact4 ,let us add that this habit develops each sensitive faculty to its highest degree4 ,the inhabitants of the country can distinguish each species of bird by listening to his song2 and the hermits1 the wanderers1 those who live with society on a perpetual war footing1 perceive sounds which would not strike the ears of civilized people4 ,approximation is also one of the stones by whose aid we construct the edifice of common sense4 ,concerning the calculations of probabilities1 the application of approximation will allow us to estimate the capacity or the probable duration of things4 ,we can not say positively whether a man will live a definite number of years but we can affirm that he will never live until he is two hundred4 ,there are1 for approbation1 certain known limits which serve as a basis for the construction of reasoning1 inspired by common sense4 ,it can be affirmed1 in a positive way1 that1 if the trunk of a tree were floating easily1 without sinking to the bottom of the water1 it would not float the same if thirty men were to ride astride of it4 ,the initial weight of the tree permits it to maintain itself on the surface2 but if it be increased to an exaggerated total1 we can1 without hesitation1 calculate indirectly the moment when it will disappear1 dragging with it the imprudent men who trusted themselves to it4 ,everything in life is a question of approximation4 ,the house which is built for a man will be far larger than the kennel1 destined to shelter a dog1 because the proportions have been calculated1 by approximation1 according to the relative difference between the stature of the human and canine species4 ,clothing is also suited to the temperature4 ,one naturally thinks that1 below a certain degree of cold1 it is necessary to change light clothes for those made of thicker material4 ,as with the majority of the constructive elements of common sense1 approximation is always based on experience4 ,it draws its conclusions from the knowledge of known limitations1 whose affirmation serves as a basis for the argument which determines deduction in a most exact manner4 ,experience itself depends on memory1 which permits us to recall facts and to draw our conclusions from them1 on which facts reasoning is based4 ,the ,shogun does not fail to draw our attention to the difference between experience and experimentation4 ,this last1 said he1 only serves to incite the manifestation of the first4 ,it consists of determining the production of a phenomenon whose existence will aid us in establishing the underlying principles of an observation which interprets the event4 ,that is what is called experience4 ,comparison is a mental operation which permits us to bring things that we desire to understand to a certain point4 ,it is comparison which has divided time according to periods1 which the moon follows during its entire length4 ,it is by comparing their different aspects and by calculating the duration of their transformations1 that men have been able to divide time as they do in all the countries of the world4 ,the science of numbers is also born of comparison1 which has been established between the quantities that they represent4 ,this is the art of calculating the differences existing between each thing1 by determining the relativeness of their respective proportions4 ,comparison acts on the mind automatically1 as a rule4 ,it is indispensable to the cultivation of common sense1 for it furnishes the means of judging with full knowledge of all the circumstances4 ,analysis is an operation1 which consists of separating each detail from the whole and of examining these details separately1 without losing sight of their relationship to the central element4 ,analysis of the same object1 while being scrupulously exact1 can1 however1 differ materially in its application1 according to the way that the object is related to this or that group of circumstances4 ,there are1 however1 immutable things4 ,for example3 the letters of the alphabet1 the elementary sounds1 the colors etc41 etc4 ,it suffices to quote only these three elements2 one can easily understand that the most elaborate manuscript is composed of only a definite number of letters always repeating themselves1 whose juxtaposition forms phrases1 then chapters1 and finally the complete work4 ,music is composed only of seven sounds whose different combinations produce an infinite variety of melodies4 ,elementary colors are only three in number4 ,all the others gravitate around them4 ,therefore1 these same letters1 these same notes1 these same colors1 according to their amalgamation1 can change in aspect and cooperate in the production of different effects4 ,the same letters can express1 according to the order in which they are placed1 terror or confidence1 joy or grief4 ,the same is true of notes and colors4 ,common sense ought then1 considering these rules1 to know how to analyze all the details and1 having done this1 to coordinate and to classify them1 in order to distinguish them easily4 ,coordination and classification form an integral part of common sense4 ,and ,yoritomo1 who delights in reducing the most complex questions to examples of the rarest simplicity1 says to us3 ,i am supposing that one person says to another1 ,i have just met a negro4 ,the interlocutor1 as well as he who mechanically registers this fact1 without thinking1 gives himself up to analysis and to coordination which always precedes synthesis4 ,without being aware of this mental action1 their minds will be occupied first with the operations of perception then of classification4 ,this negro was a man of a color which places him in a certain group of the human race4 ,it is always thus that common sense proceeds1 its principal merit being to know how to unite present perceptions with those previously cognized1 then to understand how to coordinate them so as to be able to group them concretely1 that is to say1 to synthesize them4 ,destination is defined as the purpose or object1 born of deduction and of classification4 ,destination does not permit of losing sight of the end which is proposed4 ,it allows the consideration of the purpose to predominate always1 and directs all actions toward this purpose1 these actions being absolutely the demonstrations of this unique thought4 ,habits1 acquired in view of certain realizations1 ought to be dropt from the moment the purpose is accomplished1 or that it is weakened4 ,it is by absolutely perpetuating those habits1 whose pretext has disappeared1 that one sees the achievement of certain actions which have been roughly handled by common sense4 ,there are1 again says the philosopher1 certain customs1 whose origin it is impossible to remember2 at the time of their birth1 they were engendered by necessity1 but even tho their purpose be obliterated1 tradition has preserved them in spite of everything1 and those who observe them do not take into consideration their absurdity4 ,people of common sense refrain from lending themselves to these useless practises1 or1 if they consent to allow them a place in their thoughts it is that they attribute to them some reason for existence1 either practical or sentimental4 ,direction is indicated by circumstances1 by environment1 or by necessity4 ,there is direction of resolutions as well as direction of a journey2 it is necessary1 from the beginning1 to consider well the choice of a good route1 after having done everything possible to discriminate carefully between it and all other routes proposed4 ,it happens1 however1 that the way leads also through the cross-roads2 it is even indispensable to leave the short cuts in order to trace the outline of the obstacles4 ,direction is1 then1 an important factor in the acquiring of common sense4 ,the putting of the question takes its character from comparison1 from experience1 and principally from approximation2 but it is in itself a synthesis of all the elements which compose common sense4 ,he who wishes to acquire common sense should be impregnated with all that has preceded4 ,then he will discipline himself1 so as to be able to judge1 by himself1 of the degree of reason which he has the right to assume4 ,he will begin by evoking some subject1 comparing its visual forms with1 those forms which he understands the best1 in other words1 to the perceptions which are the most familiar to him4 ,if it concerns a question to be solved1 he will try to recall some similar subject1 and establish harmony1 by making them both relative to a common antecedent4 ,yoritomo advises choosing simple thoughts for the beginning4 ,one will say1 for example3 ,such a substance is a poison2 the seeds of this fruit contain a weak dose of it2 these seeds could then become a dangerous food1 if one absorbed a considerable quantity4 ,common sense will thus indicate a certain abstaining from eating of it4 ,then one may extend his argument to things of a greater importance1 but taking great care to keep within the narrow limits of rudimentary logic4 ,one must be impregnated with this principle3 ,two things equal to a third demand an affirmative judgment or decision4 ,in the opposite case the negative deduction is enjoined4 ,it is by deductions from the most ordinary facts that one succeeds in making common sense intervene automatically in all our judgments4 ,what would be thought of one who1 finding himself in a forest at the time of a violent storm1 would reason as follows3 ,first3 ,the high summits attract lightning4 ,secondly3 ,here is a giant tree4 ,thirdly3 ,i'm going to take refuge there4 ,then it is that common sense demands that the state his three propositions as follows3 ,first3 ,high summits attract lightning4 ,secondly3 ,here is a giant tree4 ,thirdly3 ,i'm going to avoid its proximity because it will surely be dangerous4 ,if he acted otherwise2 if1 in spite of his knowledge of the danger1 he took shelter under the branches of the gigantic tree1 exposing himself to be struck by lightning1 one could1 in this case1 only reproach him with imprudence and lay the blame to the lack of common sense which allowed him to perform the act that logic condemned4 ,now the old ,nippon speaks to us of the means to employ1 that we may avoid pronouncing too hasty judgments1 which are always1 of necessity1 weakened by a too great indulgence for ourselves and at the same time too great a severity for others4 ,i was walking one day1 said he1 on the shores of a lake1 when ,i discovered a man sitting at the foot of a bamboo tree1 in an attitude of the greatest despair4 ,approaching him1 ,i asked him the cause of his grief4 ',alas6' said he to me1 'the gods are against me2 everything which ,i undertake fails1 and all evils crush me4 ',after the one which has just befallen me only one course of action is left to me1 to throw myself in the lake4 ,but ,i am young1 and ,i am weeping for myself before resolving to take such a step4' ,and he related to me how1 after many attempts without success1 he had at last gained a certain sum of money1 the loss of which he had just experienced4 ,in what way did you lose it8 ,i asked him4 ',i put it in this bag4' ',has some one stolen it8' ',no1 it has slipt through this rent4' ,and he showed me a bag1 whose ragged condition confirmed1 and at the same time illustrated his statement4 ',listen1' said ,i1 sitting down beside him1 'you are simply devoid of common sense1 by invoking the hatred of the gods6 ,you alone are the cause of your present misery4 ',if you had simply reasoned before placing your money in this bag1 this would not have happened to you4' ,and as he opened his eyes wide3 ',you would have thought this1' ,i resumed3 ',the material1 very much worn1 is incapable of standing any weight without tearing4 ',now1 the money which ,i possess is heavy1 my bag is worn out4 ',i shall not1 therefore1 put my money in this bag or1 at least1 ,i shall take care to line it beforehand with a solid piece of leather4 ',from this moment1' ,i proceeded1 'there only remains one thing for you to do1 always consult common sense before coming to any conclusion1 and you will always succeed4 ',as for your opinion concerning the hatred of the gods for you1 if you will once more call common sense to your assistance you will reason as follows3 ',gracious divinities protect only wise people4 ',now1 ,i have acted like a fool4 ',it is1 therefore1 natural that they should turn away from me4' ,how many useless imprecations would be avoided1 adds the ,shogun1 if it were given to men to know how to employ the arguments which common sense dictates1 in order to distribute the weight of the mistakes committed among those who deserve the burden1 without1 at the same time1 forgetting to assume our own share of the responsibility if we have erred4 ,nothing is more sterile than regrets or reproaches when they do not carry with them the resolution never again to fall into the same error4 ,afterward the philosopher demonstrates to us the necessity of abstracting all personality from the exercises which combine for the attainment of common sense4 ,there is1 said he1 an obstacle against which all stupid people stumble2 it is the act of reasoning under the influence of passion4 ,those who have not decided to renounce this method of arguing will never be able to give a just decision4 ,there are self-evident facts1 which certain people refuse to admit1 because this statement of the truth offends their sympathies or impedes their hatreds1 and they force themselves to deny the evidence1 hoping thus to deceive others regarding it4 ,but truth is always the strongest and they soon become the solitary dupes of their own wilful blindness4 ,the man of common sense knows how to recognize falsehood wherever he meets it2 he knows how vain it is to conceal a positive fact and also how dangerous it is to deceive oneself1 a peril which increases in power1 in proportion to the effort made to ignore it4 ,he does not wish to imitate those pusillanimous people who prefer to live in the agony of doubt rather than to look misfortunes in the face4 ,he who is determined to acquire common sense will use the following argument3 ,doubt is a conflict between two conclusions4 ,so long as it exists it is impossible to adopt either4 ,serenity is unknown to those whom doubt attacks4 ,to obtain peace1 it is necessary to become enlightened4 ,however1 it is wise always to foresee the least happy issue and to prepare to support the consequences4 ,the man who thinks thus will be stronger than adversity and will know how to struggle with misfortune without allowing it to master him4 ,it is in these terms that ,yoritomo initiates us into what he calls the mechanism of common sense2 in other words1 the art of acquiring by the simplest reasoning this quality dull as iron1 but1 like it1 also solid and durable4 ,,lesson ,,ix ,,common ,,sense ,,and ,,action ,these qualities are two relatives very near of kin2 but1 just for this reason1 they must not be confounded4 ,while common sense is applied to all the circumstances of life1 practical sense is applicable to useful things4 ,common sense admits a very subtle logic which is1 at times1 a little complex4 ,practical sense reasons1 starting from one point only2 viz41 material conveniences4 ,it is possible for this sense to be spoiled by egotism1 if common sense does not come to its assistance4 ,it is by applying the discipline of reasoning to practical sense that it modifies simple sense perception by urging it to ally itself with logic1 which unites thought to sentiment and reason4 ,the association of common sense and practical sense is necessary1 says ,yoritomo1 in order to produce new forms1 at the same time restraining the imagination within the limits of the most exact deductions and of the most impartial judgment4 ,science is1 in reality1 a sort of common sense to which the rules of reasoning are applied1 and is supported by arguments which practical sense directs into productive channels4 ,that which is called great common sense is none other than a quality with which people are endowed who show great mental equilibrium whenever it is a question of resolving material problems4 ,these people are generally country people or persons of humble position1 whose physical organism has been developed without paying much attention to their intellectual education2 they are1 in fact1 perfect candidates for the attainment of common sense1 without having been educated to this end4 ,their aptitude results from a constant habit of reflection which1 rendering their attention very keen1 has permitted them to observe the most minute details1 therefore they can form correct conclusions1 when it is a question of things that are familiar to them4 ,a peasant who has been taught by nature will be more skilled in prophesying about the weather than others4 ,he will also know how to assign a limit to the daily working hours1 at the same time stating the maximum time which one can give without developing repulsion1 which follows excesses of all kinds4 ,in his thought1 very simple1 but very direct1 will be formulated this perfect reasoning3 ,health is the first of all blessings1 since without it we are incapable of appreciating the other joys of life4 ,if ,i compromise this possession ,i shall be insensible to all others4 ,it is1 therefore1 indispensable that ,i should measure my efforts1 for1 admitting that a certain exaggerated labor brings me a fortune1 ,i shall not know how to enjoy it if illness accompanies it4 ,this is the logic which is called practical sense4 ,yoritomo continues1 saying that there is a very close connection between the faculty of judging and that of deducing4 ,practical sense1 allied to common sense1 comes to the assistance of the latter1 when it is tempted to reject the chain of analogy1 whose representation too often draws one far from the initial subject4 ,it facilitates coordination1 clearness1 and precision of thought4 ,it knows how to consider contingencies1 and never fails to have a clear understanding of relative questions4 ,and to illustrate his theory1 he cites us an example which many of our young contemporaries would do well to remember4 ,there was1 said he1 in the village of ,fu-,isher1 a literary man1 who wrote beautiful poems4 ,he lived in great solitude1 and no one would have heard of his existence if it had not been that my master1 ,lang-,ho1 while walking in the woods one day1 was attracted by the harmonious sounds of poetry1 which this young man was reciting1 without thinking that he had any other listeners than the birds of the forest4 ,lang-,ho made himself known to him and began to question him4 ,he learned that he did not lack ambition1 but1 being poor1 and having no means of approaching those who would have been able to patronize him1 he was singing of nature for his own pleasure1 waiting patiently until he should be able to influence the powerful ones of the earth to share his appreciation4 ,lang-,ho1 touched by his youth and his ardor1 pointed out to him the dwelling of a prince1 a patron of the arts1 and1 at the same time1 told him how he ought to address the nobleman1 assuring him that the fact of his being a messenger from a friend of the prince would open the doors of the palace to him4 ,the next day the young poet presented himself at the home of the great lord1 who1 knowing that he had been sent by ,lang-,ho1 received him in spite of the fact that he was suffering intensely from a violent headache4 ,he learned from the young man that he was a poet and treated him with great consideration1 making him understand1 however1 that all sustained mental effort was insupportable to him on that day4 ,but the poet1 not paying attention to the prince's exprest desire1 unrolled his manuscripts and began reading an interminable ode without noticing the signs of impatience shown by his august hearer4 ,he did not have the pleasure of finishing it4 ,the prince1 seeing that the reader did not understand his importunity1 struck a gong and ordered the servant who appeared to conduct the young man out of his presence4 ,later1 he declared to ,lang-,ho that his protg had no talent at all1 and reprimanded him severely for having sent the poet to the palace4 ,but my master did not like to be thus criticized4 ,so1 a little while after that1 one day1 when that same prince was in an agreeable frame of mind1 ,lang-,ho invited him to the reading of one of his works4 ,the nobleman declared that he had never heard anything more beautiful4 ',that is true1' said ,lang-,ho1 'but you ought to have said this the first time you heard it4' ,and he revealed to the prince that these verses were those of the young man whom he had judged so harshly4 ,from this story two lessons may be drawn3 ,the first is1 that if common sense indicates that judgment should not change from scorn to enthusiasm1 when it is a question of the same object1 practical sense insists that one should be certain of impartiality of judgment1 by avoiding the influence of questions which relate to environment and surrounding circumstances4 ,the second concerns opportunity4 ,we have already had occasion to say how much some things1 which seem desirable at certain times1 are questionable when the situation changes4 ,bad humor creates ill-will2 therefore it is abominably stupid to provoke the manifestation of the second when one has proved the existence of the first4 ,in order that there may be a connection between the faculty of judgment and that of deduction1 it is essential that nothing should be allowed to interpose itself between these two phases of the argument4 ,harmony between all judgments is founded on common sense1 but it is practical common sense1 which indicates this harmony with precision4 ,it is also practical common sense which serves as a guide to the orator who wishes to impress his audience4 ,he will endeavor first to choose a subject which will interest those who listen to him4 ,in this endeavor he ought1 above all1 to consult opportunity4 ,and1 as we have remarked on many occasions1 the ,shogun expresses theories on this subject1 to which the people of the twentieth century could not give too much earnest consideration4 ,there are1 said he1 social questions1 as1 for example1 dress and custom4 ,with time1 opinions change1 as do forms and manners1 and this is quite reasonable4 ,the progress of science by ameliorating the general conditions of existence1 introduces a need created by civilization which rejects barbarous customs2 the mentality of a warrior is not that of an agriculturist2 the man who thinks about making his possessions productive has not the same inclinations as he whose life is devoted to conquest1 and the sweetness of living in serenity1 by modifying the aspirations1 metamorphoses all things4 ,in order to lead attention in the direction which is governed by reason1 it is indispensable for the orator that he should expound a subject whose interpretation will satisfy the demand of opportunity1 which influences every brain4 ,practical sense will make him take care to speak only of things that he has studied thoroughly4 ,it will induce him to expound his theory in such a way that his hearers will have to make no effort to assimilate it4 ,that which is not understood is easily criticized1 and practical sense would prevent an orator from attempting to establish an argument whose premises would offend common sense4 ,he would be certain of failure in such a case4 ,his efforts will be limited1 then1 to evoking common sense1 by employing practical sense1 so far as what refers to the application of principles which he desires to apply successfully4 ,yoritomo recommends this affiliation for that which concerns the struggle against superstition4 ,superstition1 he says1 offends practical sense as well as common sense1 for it rests on an erroneous analysis4 ,its foundation is always an observation marred by falsity1 establishing an association between two facts which have nothing in common4 ,there are people who reenter their homes if1 when they reach the threshold1 they perceive a certain bird2 others believe that they are threatened with death if they meet a white cat4 ,without going back to the days of ,yoritomo1 we shall find just as many people who are the victims of superstitions concerning certain facts1 which are only the observance of customs fallen into disuse1 and whose practise has been perpetuated through the ages1 altho1 as we have said in the preceding chapter1 the purpose of the custom has disappeared1 but the custom itself has not been forgotten4 ,it is in this way that the origin of the superstition concerning salt dates back to the time of the ,romans1 who 7while at variance with the principles of contemporary agriculture7 sowed salt in the fields of their enemies and thought that by so doing they would make them sterile4 ,to that far-distant epoch can be traced the origin of the superstition concerning the spilling of salt4 ,whatever may have been its cause1 superstition is the enemy of common sense1 for1 when it does not originate in an abolished custom1 it is the product of a personal impression1 associating two ideas absolutely unconnected4 ,practical sense1 ,yoritomo continues1 is a most valuable talent to cultivate1 for it prevents our judging from appearances4 ,frivolous minds are always inclined to draw conclusions from passing impressions2 they adopt neither foresight1 nor precaution1 nor approximation4 ,there are people who will condemn a country as utterly unattractive1 because they happened to have visited it under unfavorable circumstances4 ,others1 without considering what a country has previously produced1 and that at present the grain has not been planted1 will declare unfertile the soil which has been untilled for some months4 ,on the other hand1 if they visit a house on a sunny day1 it would be impossible for them to associate it with the idea of rain4 ,it would be most difficult to make these people alter their judgment1 prematurely formed1 and1 in spite of the most authoritative assertions and the most self-evident proofs1 their initial idea will dominate all those which one would like to instil into their minds4 ,one moment would1 however1 suffice for reason to convince them that the variations of atmosphere and the conditions of cultivation can modify the aspect of a country1 of a field1 and of a house1 to the extent of giving them an appearance totally different from the one which they seemed to have4 ,but he who judges by appearances never rejoices in the possession of that faculty which may be called reason in imagination4 ,this is a gift1 developed by practical sense and which common sense happily directs in right channels4 ,those who are endowed with this faculty can1 with the help of reasoning1 and by means of thought1 build up a future reality based on a judgment whose affirmation admits of no doubt4 ,it is not a question of hypothesis1 no matter how well-founded it is4 ,experience1 in this case1 is united with deduction to form a preconceived but certain idea4 ,by cultivating practical sense1 we shall escape the danger of idealization which1 with people of unbalanced mentality1 often sheds an artificial light upon the picture4 ,there is still another point to which ,yoritomo calls our attention1 in order to encourage us to cultivate the twin reasoning powers whose advantages we are trying to commend in this chapter3 ,practical sense1 says he1 sometimes puts common sense apparently in the wrong1 while acting1 however1 without the inspiration of the latter4 ,this happens when it is an advantage1 for the perfect equilibrium of the projects in question1 that it should be maintained at the same pitch1 in order that it may be understood by all4 ,in the legendary days1 snow the color of fire once fell on the inhabitants of a little village1 who were all about to attend a religious ceremony4 ,one man alone1 an old philosopher1 had remained at home because1 at the time they were to leave1 he suddenly fell ill4 ,when his sufferings were relieved1 he started out to join the others and found them committing all sorts of follies4 ,two among them were reviling one another1 each one claiming that he was the only king4 ,some were weeping because they thought that they were changed into beasts4 ,others were screaming1 without rime or reason1 now embracing each other1 now attacking one another furiously4 ,soon the wise man recognized that they had been affected by the fall of snow1 which had made them crazy1 and he tried to speak to them in the language of reason4 ,but all these crazy people turned on him1 crying out that he had just lost his reason and that he must be shut away4 ,they undertook the task of taking him back to his home1 but1 as that was not to be accomplished without rough usage1 he assumed the part indicated by practical sense2 this man of common sense feigned insanity1 and from the moment the insane people thought that he resembled them they let him alone and ceased to torment him4 ,the philosopher profited by this fact to disarm their excitement1 and1 little by little1 all the time indulging in a thousand eccentricities1 which had no other object than to protect himself against them1 he demonstrated their aberration to them4 ,could not this story serve as an example to the majority of contemporary critics8 ,is it not often necessary to appear to be denuded of common sense1 to make the voice of reason dominate8 ,in the fable of ,yoritomo1 his philosopher proved his profound knowledge of the human heart1 while he put in practise the power of practical sense in apparent opposition1 however1 to common sense4 ,we said this at the opening of the chapter3 practical sense and common sense are two very near relatives1 but they are two and not one4 ,,lesson ,x ,,the ,,most ,,thorough ,,business ,,man ,one of the principle advantages of common sense is that it protects the man who is gifted with it from hazardous enterprises1 the risky character of which he scents4 ,only to risk when possessing perfect knowledge of a subject is the sure means of never being drawn into a transaction by illusory hopes4 ,an exact conception of things is more indispensable to perfect success than a thousand other more brilliant but less substantial gifts4 ,however1 says ,yoritomo1 in order to make success our own1 it is not sufficient to have the knowledge of things1 one must above all know oneself4 ,on the great world-stage1 each one occupies a place which at the start may not always be in the first rank4 ,nevertheless1 work1 intelligence1 directness of thought and1 above all1 common sense1 can exert a positive influence on the future superiority of the situation4 ,before everything else1 it is indispensable that we should never delude ourselves about the position which we occupy4 ,to define it exactly1 one should call to mind the wise adage which says3 ,know thyself4 ,but this knowledge is rare4 ,presumptuous persons readily imagine that they attract the eyes of every one1 even if they be in the last rank4 ,timid persons will hide themselves behind others and1 notwithstanding1 they are very much aggrieved not to be seen4 ,ambitious persons push away the troublesome ones1 in order that they themselves may get the first places4 ,lazy persons just let them do it4 ,irresolute persons hesitate before sitting down in vacant places and are consumed with regrets from the time they perceive that others1 better prepared1 take possession of them2 the more so as they no longer get back their own1 for1 during their hesitation1 another has seated1 himself there4 ,enthusiasts fight to reach the first rank1 but are so fatigued by their violent struggles that they fall1 tired out1 before they have attained their object4 ,obstinate people persist in coveting inaccessible places and spend strength without results1 which they might have employed more judiciously4 ,people of common sense are the only ones who experience no nervous tension because of this struggle4 ,they calculate their chances1 compute the time1 do not disturb themselves uselessly1 and never abandon their present position until they have a firm grasp on the following place4 ,they do not seek to occupy a rank which their knowledge would not permit them to keep2 they draw on that faculty with which they are gifted to learn the science of true proportion4 ,they do not meddle in endeavors to reform laws2 they submit to them1 by learning how to adapt them to their needs1 and respect them by seeking to subordinate their opinion to the principle on which they are based4 ,persons who have no common sense are the only ones to revolt against the laws of the country where they live4 ,the wise man will recognize that they have been enacted to protect him and that to be opposed to their observance would be acting as an enemy to oneself4 ,however1 people will say1 if laws are so impeccable in their right to authority1 how is it that their interpretation leads so often to disputes8 ,it is easy to reply that lawsuits are rarely instituted by men of common sense2 they leave this burden to people of evil intent1 who imagine thus to make a doubtful cause triumph4 ,it must be conceded that this means succeeds at times with them1 when they are dealing with timid or irresolute persons2 but those who have contracted the habit of reasoning1 and who never undertake anything without consulting common sense1 will never allow themselves to be drawn into the by-paths of sophistry4 ,if they are forced to enter there temporarily1 in order to pursue the adversary1 who has hidden himself there1 they will leave these paths as soon as necessity does not force them to remain there longer and with delight regain the broad road of rectitude4 ,a few pages further on we find a reflection which the ,shogun1 always faithful to his principles of high morality1 specially addresses to those who make a profession of humility4 ,obedience1 he says1 ought to be considered as a means2 but1 for the one who wishes to succeed1 in no sense can it be honored as a virtue4 ,if it be a question of submission to law1 that is nothing else but the performance of a strict duty2 this is a kind of compact which the man of common sense concludes with society1 to which he promises his support for the maintenance of a protection from which he will be the first to benefit4 ,this obedience might be set down as selfishness were it not endorsed by common sense4 ,there are people1 it is true1 who1 even altho wishing to support their neighbor when called upon to do so by the law1 seek to evade this duty if left to themselves4 ,these are pirates who have broken completely not only with the spirit of equity1 but also with simple common sense4 ,it is always foolish to set the example of insubordination1 for1 if it were followed1 it would not be long before general disorder would appear4 ,some men were sitting one day on the edge of an inlet and were trying with a net to catch fish1 whose playful movements the men were following through the limpid water4 ,according to their character1 their perseverance1 their cleverness1 and the ingenuity of the means employed1 they caught a proportionate number of fish2 but those who caught the least had one or two4 ,this success encouraged them1 and they began again in good earnest1 each one in his own way1 when a stranger appeared2 he was armed with a long branch of a tree1 which he plunged in the pond1 touching the bottom and stirring up the mud1 which1 as it scattered1 rose to the surface of the water4 ,the limpidity of the water was immediately changed2 one could no longer see the fish1 and the fishermen decided to discontinue their sport4 ,but the man only laughed at their discomfiture and1 brandishing a large net1 he threw it in his turn1 chaffing them at the patient cunning by which they had1 he said1 taken such a poor haul4 ,he brought up some fish1 it is true1 but at each haul he was obliged to lose so much time in removing the impurities1 the dbris1 and the weeds of all kinds from the net that very soon the fishermen had the satisfaction of seeing him punished for his mean conduct4 ,what he took was scarcely more than what the smartest among them had taken1 and his net1 filthy from the mud1 torn by the roots that he was unable to avoid1 was soon good for nothing4 ,might it not be from this fable that we have taken the expression1 to fish in troubled waters1 of which without a doubt the good ,yoritomo furnished the origin many1 many centuries ago8 ,his prophetic mind is unveiled again in the following advice that not a business man of the twentieth century would reject4 ,common sense1 he says1 when it is a question of the relations of men as to what concerns business or society1 ought to adopt the characteristic of that animal called the chameleon4 ,his natural color is dull1 but he has the gift of reflecting the color of the objects on which he rests4 ,near a leaf1 he takes the tint of hope4 ,on a lotus1 he is glorified with the blue of the sky4 ,is this to say that his nature changes to the point of modifying his natural color8 ,no2 he does not cease to possess that which recalls the color of the ground1 and the ephemeral color which he appropriates is only a semblance1 in order that he may be more easily mistaken for the objects themselves4 ,the man who boasts of possessing common sense1 altho preserving his personality1 ought not to fail1 if he wants to succeed1 to reflect that of the person whom he wishes to aid him in succeeding4 ,let it not be understood for a moment1 that we advise any one to act contrary to the impulses of justice4 ,but cleverness is a part of common sense in business1 and assimilation is essential to success4 ,it is not necessary to abandon one's convictions in order to reflect principles which1 without contradicting them1 give them a favorable color4 ,common sense can remain intact and be differently colored1 according as it is applied to the arts1 politics1 or science4 ,it would not deserve its name if it did not know how to yield to circumstances1 in order to adorn the momentary caprice with flowers of reason4 ,in the primitive ages1 common sense consisted in keeping oneself in a perpetual state of defense2 attack was also at times prescribed1 by virtue of the principle that it is pernicious to allow one's rights to be imperiled4 ,attack was also at times a form of repression4 ,it was also a lesson in obedience and a reminder not to misunderstand individual rights4 ,in later times1 common sense served to make the advantages of harmony appreciated4 ,it directed the descendants of peoples exclusively warlike toward the secret place where science unfolds itself to the gaze of the vulgar2 then it taught them to provide for their existence by working4 ,it has demonstrated to them the necessity of reflection1 by inciting them to model their present course of life on the lessons which come from the past4 ,it has given them the means to evoke it easily and effectively4 ,it has injected into their veins the calmness which permits them to draw just conclusions and to adopt toward preceding reasonings the attitude of absolute neutrality1 without which all former presentiments are marred by error4 ,each epoch was1 for common sense1 an opportunity to manifest itself differently4 ,at the moment when poetry was highly honored1 it would have been unreasonable to have ignored it1 for the bards excited great enthusiasm by their songs which gave birth to heroes4 ,and now1 imbued with the principles which in his day might be taken to represent what we to-day call advanced ideas1 ,yoritomo continues3 ,common sense can1 then1 without renouncing its devotion to truth1 take various forms or shades1 for the truth of yesterday is not always the truth of to-day4 ,the gods of the past are considered simply as idols in our day and the virtues of the distant past would be1 at present1 moral defects which would prevent men from winning the battle of life1 whose ideal is ,the ,best for which all the faculties should strive4 ,the ,shogun also touches lightly on a subject which1 already discust in his time1 has become1 in our day1 a burning truth2 it is a question of a fault1 which in the world of practical life and in that of business can cause considerable injury to him who allows it to be implanted in him4 ,we refer to that tendency which has been adorned or rather branded successively with the names of hypochondria1 pessimism1 and lastly neurasthenia1 an appellation which comprises all kinds of nervous diseases1 the characteristic of which is incurable melancholy4 ,there are people1 he says1 who are afflicted with a special color-blindness4 ,everything they look at assumes immediately to their eyes the most somber hues4 ,they see in a flower only the germ of dry-rot2 the most ideal beauty appears to them only like the negligible covering of some hideous skeleton4 ,however1 they hang on to this life which they do not cease to calumniate1 and people of common sense are rarely found who will try to reason with them from a common-sense standpoint3 ',since life is so insupportable to you1 why do you impose upon yourself the obligation to struggle with it8 ',only insane people try to prolong their sojourn in a place where they suffer martyrdom4' ,it is true that when1 perchance1 this argument is placed before them1 they do not fail to reply by invoking the shame of desertion4 ',well1 is not then the interest of the struggle to which we are subjected a sufficient attraction to keep us at our post8' ,and1 always enamored with the doctrine1 which we are now assiduously maintaining1 he concludes3 ,common sense is1 at times1 the unfolding of a magnificent force which incites us to attune our environment to actualities4 ,one must not1 however1 fall into excess and draw a huge sword to pierce the clouds1 which obscure the sun4 ,if struggle is praiseworthy when we have to face a real enemy1 it becomes worthy of scorn and laughter if we attack a puerile or imaginary adversary4 ,but the number of people incapable of appreciating the true color of things is not limited to those who enshroud them in black4 ,there are others1 on the contrary1 who obstinately insist upon surrounding them with a halo of sunlight only existing in their imagination4 ,for such deluded people1 obstacles seen from a distance take on the most attractive appearance2 they would be readily disposed to enjoy them and only consent to allow them a certain importance if they absolutely obstruct the way4 ,but until the moment when impossibility confronts them1 do they deny its existence or underrate its importance by attributing a favorable influence to it4 ,this propensity to see all in the ideal would be enviable if it did not wound common sense1 which revenges itself by refusing to these improvident people the help of the reasoning power necessary to sustain them in the crisis of discouragement which brings about irresistibly the establishment of error4 ,these unbalanced people rarely experience success1 for they are unable1 as long as their blindness lasts1 to mark out a line of serious conduct for themselves4 ,all projects built on the quicksands of false deductions will perish without even leaving behind them material sufficient to reconstruct them4 ,it is impossible to combat strongly enough this tendency to self-delusion1 which inclines us to become the prey of untruth1 by preventing the birth of faith1 based on preceding success4 ,sincere conviction1 on the contrary1 will lead us to refute strongly all the false arguments1 which impede thought and would choke it in order to allow unadulterated pleasure to be installed on the ruins of common sense4 ,the battle of life demands warriors and conquerors as well as critics1 less brilliant1 perhaps1 but just as worthy of admiration1 for their mission is equally important1 altho infinitely more obscure4 ,whether he be a peasant tilling his field or a rich capitalist manipulating his gold1 he who works in order to satisfy the needs or luxury of his existence is a fighter whose hours are spent in occupations more or less dangerous4 ,from time to time1 however1 a cessation of hostilities is produced2 such always follows the appearance of common sense which1 by giving to things their true proportions1 causes the greater part of inequalities to disappear4 ,finally1 he who cultivates this virtue unostentatiously will always be protected from the caprices of fortune2 if he is poor1 common sense will indicate to him the way to cease to be poor1 and1 if chance has given him birth in opulence1 the counsels of experience will demonstrate to him the frailty of possessions that one has not acquired by personal effort4 ,this conclusion is strikingly true1 for it is certain that prosperity attained by personal effort is less likely to fade away than an inherited fortune1 whose owner can only understand the ordinary pleasure of a possession which he has not ardently desired4 ,he who is the maker of his own position is more able to maintain it2 he knows the price of the efforts which he had to make in order to construct it1 and1 armed with common sense1 he is as able to defend his treasure as to enjoy the sweet savor of a thing which he has desired1 longed for1 and won by the force of his will and judgment1 placed at the service of circumstances and directed toward success4 ,,lesson ,,xi ,,common ,,sense ,,and ,,self-,,control ,where life manifests itself1 says ,yoritomo1 antagonism always springs up4 ,in the eternal struggle between the individual and social soul1 each of which1 in its turn1 is victorious or vanquished1 a truce is declared only if self-control is allied to common sense1 in order to maintain the equilibrium between individual sentiment1 natural to each one of us1 and the ideas of mankind as a whole4 ,all classes of society are subject to this law1 and1 from the proudest prince to the humblest peasant1 every one is obliged to harmonize their social duties with their personal obligations4 ,those who understand how to imbibe thoroughly the lessons of common sense1 never ignore the fact that morality is always closely related to self-interest4 ,if each one of us would observe this rule individual happiness would not be long in creating a harmony from which all men would benefit4 ,one thing we should avoid1 for the attainment of universal tranquility1 and that is the perpetual conflict between individual and social interest4 ,the day when each one of us can comprehend that he is a part of this 'all1' which is called society1 he will admit that sinning against society may be considered the same as sinning against oneself4 ,passing one day before an immense cabin1 built of bamboo1 which stood near a rice-plantation1 ,i perceived a man who hid himself from my view1 without however being able to escape my notice altogether4 ,i went resolutely to him1 to ask him the explanation of his suspicious movement4 ,after an unsuccessful attempt to escape1 he resigned himself to allow me to approach him1 and ,i understood the reason of his apprehension3 ,he was carrying several pieces of bamboo which he had detached from the house4 ,he wanted1 he said1 to make a little blaze because the dampness was chilling him4 ,without replying to him1 ,i led him by the hand to the place where the branches taken away had left a large space1 a kind of opening in the side of the house1 through which a keen wind was rushing4 ',look1' ,i said to him1 'the blaze that you are going to make will warm you for a few minutes1 but1 during the whole night the cold wind will freeze you--you and your companions4 ',in order to procure for yourself an agreeable but passing sensation you are going to inflict upon them continued sufferings1 of which you can not escape your share4' ,the man hung his head and said3 ',i had not thought of this2 ,i was cold and ,i allowed myself to be tempted by the anticipated pleasure of warming myself1 even if only for a few minutes4' ,and1 convinced by common sense1 he repaired the harm which he had done1 first by reason of selfishness1 then by thoughtlessness1 but1 above all1 by lack of self-control4 ,to dominate oneself to the point of not allowing oneself to become the slave of miserable contingencies which appear as temptations to self-indulgence1 and conceal from their pettiness the beauty of the consistent action--this is only given to the chosen few and can only be understood by those who cultivate common sense4 ,is this to say that reasoning should be a school for abnegation4 ,such a thought is far from our minds4 ,neither habitual abnegation nor modesty is among the militant virtues1 and for this reason the critics ought often to relegate them to their proper place1 which is the last1 very close to defects to which they closely approach and among whose ranks one must sometimes go in order to discover them4 ,but1 apart from the question of a sterile abnegation1 we must foresee that it may be important not to overestimate one's individual interests1 to the visible detriment of the general interest4 ,this is a fault common to all those who have not been initiated into the practise of self-control by means of reasoning based on solid premises4 ,they are ready to sacrifice very great interests1 which do not seem to concern them directly1 for some immediate paltry gratification4 ,they act1 said the philosopher1 like a peasant who should risk his harvest in order to avoid paying the prince the rent which belongs to him4 ,common sense teaches us that we should call to our assistance self-control1 in order to repress the tendencies which tempt men to sacrifice the general interest to some personal and vehement desire4 ,rarely do these people find their advantage in separating themselves from the mass1 and the prosperity of the greatest number is always the cradle of individual fortunes4 ,leaving questions of primary importance to come to the subtleties of detail in which1 he delights1 ,yoritomo speaks to us of self-control allied to common sense1 extolling to us its good effects in practical questions of our every-day life4 ,we too often confound1 said he1 self-control and liberty4 ,we are tempted to believe that a slave can not possess it1 inasmuch as it is the special possession of all those to whom riches give a superior position in the world4 ,how profound is this error6 ,the lowest slave can enjoy this liberty1 which is worth all others3 self-control1 which confers intellectual independence more precious than the most precious of possessions1 whereas the most powerful prince may be altogether ignorant of this blessing4 ,there are dependent souls who1 for want of the necessary strength to escape from vassalage to the external impressions will always drag on1 feeble and opprest by the exactions of a mental servitude from which they can not free themselves4 ,others rise proudly1 ready to command circumstances1 which they dominate with all the power of their volition governed by reason4 ,it is common sense which will guide them in this ascent by keeping them within the limits assigned to those things pertaining to reason and rectitude of mind4 ,before everything1 it is well not to forget that this faculty invites those who cultivate it to seek always for exact facts4 ,knowledge1 in all its aspects is1 then1 a perfect educator for those who do not wish to build on the flimsy foundation of approximate truth4 ,in pronouncing the word knowledge1 we do not wish to speak of abstract studies which are only accessible to a small number2 we wish to express the thought of instruction embracing all things1 even the most humble and ordinary4 ,a man from the city was walking in the country one day1 not far from a vast swamp4 ,all around it were a few miserable huts1 the shelter of some peasants whose business it was to gather the reeds from the borders1 weaving them into large baskets to be sold afterward in the neighboring country4 ,little by little twilight descended1 slowly enveloping all things in a mist of ashy gray1 and vapors arose from afar over the stagnant water4 ,the man from the city trembled1 believing that he recognized fantoms in this moving vapor2 he sought to flee1 but1 unfamiliar with the locality1 he ran along the side of the swamp without finding the end of it4 ,exhausted from fatigue and trembling with fear1 he resolved to knock at one of the cabins4 ,he was welcomed by a basket-maker1 to whom he related his fright1 adding that he was unable to understand how this man found the courage to live in a place haunted in such a terrible way4 ,the peasant smiled and explained to the man1 whose intellectual culture was1 however1 infinitely superior to his own1 by what phenomenon of evaporation these mirages were produced4 ,he demonstrated to him that these fantoms were only harmless vapors1 and the city man admired the knowledge which common sense had taught the ignorant one4 ,and ,yoritomo concluded3 ,this peasant gave there a proof of what self-control allied to common sense can do4 ,instead of allowing himself to be influenced by appearances1 he confined himself to reflection1 and observation aided by attention led him to a deduction resting on truth4 ,the essential factor of control is cool-headedness1 which permits of seeing things in their true light1 and forbids us to gild them or to darken them1 according to our state of mind at the time4 ,the ,shogun adds3 ,fear1 hideous fear1 is a sentiment unknown to those whose soul communes with self-control and common sense4 ,the first of these qualities will produce a fixt resolution tending to calmness1 at the same time that it makes a powerful appeal to cool-headedness1 which permits of reflection4 ,fear is always the confession of a weakness which disavows struggle and wishes to ignore the name of adversary4 ,cool-headedness is the evanescent examination of forces1 either physical or intellectual1 with reference to supposed danger4 ,without self-control cool-headedness can not exist2 but it only develops completely under the influence of common sense which dictates to it the reasons for its existence4 ,cool-headedness1 by leaving us our liberty of thought1 enlightens us undoubtedly on the nature of danger1 at the same time that it suggests to us the way to avoid it1 if it really exists4 ,there can not be a question of fear for those who possess the faculties of which we have just spoken1 for it is well known that1 from the moment when the cause of fear is defined it ceases to exist2 it becomes stupid illusion or a real enemy4 ,in the one case1 as in the other1 it ought not to excite anxiety any longer1 but contempt or the desire to fight it4 ,for those whose mind is not yet strong enough to resolve on one or other of these decisions it will be well to take up again the argument indicated in the preceding pages1 and to say3 ,either the object of my fear really exists1 and1 in this case1 ,i must determine its nature exactly1 in order to use the proper means first to combat it and then to conquer it4 ,or it is only an illusion1 and ,i am going to seek actively for that which produces it1 in order never again to fall into the error of which my senses have just been the dupes4 ,looking over these manuscripts1 so rich in valuable advice1 we find once more the following lines3 ,self-control and cool-headedness are above all necessary to aid in dissimulating impressions4 ,it is very bad to allow one of the speakers in a dialog to read the mind of him who speaks to him like an open book4 ,he whose thoughts are imprest vividly on the surface is always placed at a glaring disadvantage4 ,the thought of glorifying hypocrisy is far from our minds1 for it has nothing to do with the attitude which we recommend4 ,the hypocrite strives to assume emotions which he does not feel4 ,the man gifted with cool-headedness is intent on never allowing them to be seen4 ,it keeps his adversary in ignorance of the effect produced by his reasoning and allows him to take his chance1 until the moment when1 in spite of this feigned indifference1 he reveals himself and permits his mind to be seen4 ,now1 to know the designs of a rival1 when he is ignorant of those that we have conceived1 is one of the essential factors of success4 ,in every way1 he who is informed about the projects of his adversary walks preceded by a torch of light1 while the adversary1 if he can not divine his opponent's plans1 continues to fight in darkness4 ,the most elementary common sense counsels then cool-headedness when exchanging ideas1 even when the discussion is of quite an amicable nature4 ,from this habit there will result a very praiseworthy propensity to exercise self-control1 which is only a sort of superior cool-headedness4 ,it is also the cause of a noble pride1 because it is more difficult to win a victory over one's passions than to conquer ordinary enemies1 and he who1 with the support of common sense1 succeeds in ruling himself1 can calculate1 without arrogance1 the hour when he will reign over the minds of others4 ,,lesson ,,xii ,,common ,,sense ,,does ,,not ,,exclude ,,great ,,aspirations ,a very common error1 says ,yoritomo1 is that which consists in classifying common sense among the amorphous virtues1 only applicable to things and to people whose fundamental principle is materiality4 ,this is a calumny which is spread broadcast by fools who scatter their lives to the four winds of caprice and extravagance4 ,not only does common sense not exclude beauty1 but it really aids in its inception and protects its growth by maintaining the reasons which produced its appearance4 ,without it1 the reign of the most admired things would be of short duration1 granting that the want of logic had not prevented their production4 ,what is there more commendable than the love of work1 devotion to science1 ambition to succeed8 ,could all this exist if common sense did not intervene to permit the development of the deductions on which are based the resolutions that inspired in us these aspirations4 ,but this is not all2 without logic1 which permits us to give them solidity1 the most serious resolutions would soon become nothing but vague projects1 shattered as soon as formed4 ,in common sense lies the cause and the object of things4 ,it is common sense which makes us realize that difference that few persons are willing to analyze1 and which lies between judgment and opinion4 ,we almost always succeed in readily confounding them1 and from this mistake results a too-frequent cause of failures4 ,opinion is a conviction which is capable of modification4 ,in addition to this1 as it is based on mere indications and probability1 it is rarely free from the personal element4 ,opinion depends upon the favorite inclination1 upon the mood of the moment1 upon sundry considerations1 which direct it almost always toward the desired solution4 ,also it depends often on thoughtfulness or on the inexactness of the initial representation1 which we are pleased to disguise slightly at first1 then little by little to color in accordance with our desires4 ,falsehood does not necessarily enter into this process of tricking things out2 it is1 three-quarters of the time1 the result of an illusion which we are prone to perpetuate within us4 ,we are too often in the position of the three wise men who1 while rummaging in an old sarcophagus1 discovered a vase whose primitive function they were unable to determine with any certainty4 ,one of them was a poet and an idealist4 ,the second only prized positive things4 ,the third belonged to the category of melancholy people4 ,after a few days devoted to special research work1 they met together again in order to communicate to each other their different opinions about the exhumed vase4 ',i have found the secret1' said the first4 ',i also1' affirmed the second4 ',i equally have found it1' replied the third4 ,and each one based his opinion on preconceived notions which reflected their bent of mind3 ',this vase1' said the first1 'was intended to hold incense1 which they burned a that epoch1 in the belief that the smoke dispelled the evil spirits4' ',nonsense6' cried out the second2 'this vase is a pot which at that time served as a receptacle for keeping spices4' ',not so6' insisted the third1 'it is an urn of antiquated design used for receiving tears2 that is all4' ,these three serious men were certainly sincere in giving explanations which each one of them declared decisive4 ,they exprest opinions which they believed implicitly and which their respective natures directed irresistibly toward their peculiar bents of mind4 ,judgment1 in order to be free from all which is not common sense1 ought then to put aside all personal predilections1 all desire to form a conclusion to humor our inclinations4 ,absolute impartiality of judgment is one of the rarest gifts and at the same time is the noblest quality which we can possess4 ,we should then conclude1 with the ,shogun1 that common sense aids in the production of noble aspirations1 and is not concerned only with that which relates to materiality1 as so many people would have us understand4 ,the ,nippon philosopher teaches us also the part which he assigns to the habitual practise of goodness4 ,we are too easily persuaded1 he says1 that goodness1 like beauty1 is a gift of birth4 ,it is time to destroy an error rooted in our minds for too many centuries4 ,goodness is acquired by reasoning and logic1 as are so many other qualities1 and it is common sense which governs its formation4 ,have we ever reflected over the sum total of annoyances that people1 who are essentially wicked1 add every day to those imposed upon them by circumstances8 ,are we capable of appreciating the joys of life when impatience makes the nerves vibrate or when anger brandishes its torch in the bends and turns of the brain8 ,people who lack goodness are the first to be punished for their defect4 ,serenity is unknown to them and they live in perpetual agitation1 caused by the irritation which they experience on the slightest provocation4 ,common sense indicates then in an irrefutable way that there is every advantage in being good4 ,and ,yoritomo proves it to us1 by using his favorite syllogism3 ,happiness1 he says1 is above all a combination of harmony and absence of sorrow4 ,wickedness1 by inspiring us with discontent and anger1 disturbs this harmony4 ,we must1 therefore1 banish wickedness1 that we may cultivate goodness1 which is the creator of harmony4 ,continuing still further the same argument1 he adds3 ,common sense would have the tendency even to make us promise to be good1 so as to satisfy our own egotism4 ,goodness creates smiles2 to sow happiness around one1 is a way of having neither eyes nor heart offended by the sight of people in tears2 it is the eliciting of an agreeable joy1 whose rays will shed a golden light over our life2 is it not more pleasing to hear the ring of laughter than to listen to painful sobs8 ,so1 we should never lose an opportunity of being good and that without mental reservation4 ,gratitude is not the possession of every soul and he who does good may expect to receive ingratitude4 ,he will not suffer from it1 if he has done good1 not in the way a creditor does who intends to come on the very day appointed to claim his debt1 but as a giver who fulfils his mission from which he is expecting a personal satisfaction1 without thinking of any acknowledgment for what he has done4 ,if the debtor is filled with gratitude1 the joy of being good is that much increased4 ,there is a species of common sense of a particularly noble quality that is called moral sense and which the ,shogun defines thus3 ,the moral sense is the common sense of the soul2 it is the superior power of reasoning which stands before us that we may be prevented from passively following our instincts2 it is by its assistance that we succeed without too much difficulty in climbing the steep paths of duty4 ,this sense discerns an important quality1 which puts us on our guard against the danger of certain theories1 whose brilliancy might seduce us4 ,it is the moral sense which indicates to us the point of delimitation separating legitimate concessions from forbidden license4 ,it allows us to go as far as the dangerous place where the understanding with conscience might become compromised and1 by reasoning1 proves to us that there would be serious danger in proceeding further4 ,it is the moral sense which distinguishes civilized man from the brute2 it is the regulator of the movements of the soul and the faithful indicator of the actions which depend on it4 ,we must really pity those who are deprived of moral sense for they are the prey of all the impulses created in them by the brute-nature1 which sleeps in the depths of each human creature4 ,the man whose moral sense is developed will live at peace with himself1 for he will only know the evil of doubt when he realizes the satisfaction of having conquered it4 ,moral sense1 like common sense1 is formed by reasoning and is fostered by the practise of constant application4 ,it is the property of those who avoid evil1 as others avoid the spatter of mud1 through horror of the stains which result from it4 ,those who do not have this apprehension flounder about1 cover themselves with mud1 sink in it and finally are swallowed up4 ,yoritomo again takes up the defense of common sense1 with reference to the arts4 ,can one imagine1 he says1 a painter conceiving a picture and grouping his figures in such a way as to violate the rules of common sense8 ,we should be doomed1 if this were true1 to see men as tall as oak-trees and houses resembling children's toy constructions1 placed without reference to equilibrium among green or pink animals1 whose legs had queer shapes4 ,madmen represent nature thus1 which seems to them outlined in strange forms4 ,but people of common sense reproduce things just as sound judgment conceives of them2 if they throw around them at times the halo of beauty which seems exaggerated1 let us not decry them4 ,beauty exists everywhere2 it dwells in the most humble objects1 makes all around us resplendent and1 if we refuse to see it1 we are blinded by an unjust prejudice1 or our minds are not open to the faculty of contemplation4 ,it is revealed above all to those who cultivate common sense and reject the sophistries of untruth that they may surround themselves with truth4 ,such people scorn trivial casualties2 they adopt an immutable rule1 reasoning1 which permits them to deduce1 to judge1 and afterward to produce4 ,all beautiful creations are derived from this source4 ,the most admirable inventions would never have been known if common sense had not helped them to be produced1 strengthening those who conceived them by the support of logic1 which demonstrated to them the truth of their presumptions4 ,authority follows1 based on the experience which1 by maintaining the effect of judgment1 has armed them with the strength of the mind1 the true glory of peaceful conquerors4 ,would one not say that the ,shogun1 in writing these lines1 foresaw the magnificent efforts which we are witnessing each day and that from the depths of time he caught a glimpse of these brave conquerors of the air and of space1 whose great deeds1 seeming at times the result of a crazy temerity1 are in reality only homage rendered to common sense1 which has permitted them to calculate the value of their initiative without mistake8 ,and one can not be denied the pleasure of entering once more into close communion of thought with the old philosopher when he says3 ,enthusiasm is of crystal but common sense is of brass4