Some people
go on growing to the end.
If one develops one side of one's nature, as the intellectual or
artistic, one probably suffers on the emotional or moral side. The
pain which the perceptive man feels in surveying this process is
apt to be very acute. He may see that he lacks certain qualities
altogether and yet be unable to develop them. He may find in
himself some patent and even gross fault, and be unable to cure it.
The only hope for any of us is that we do not know the expansive
force of our qualities, nor the size of the box; and therefore it
is reasonable to go on trying and desiring; and as long as one can
do that, it is clear that there is still room for growth. The worst
shadow of all is to find, as one goes on, a certain indifference
creeping over one. One accepts a fault as a part of one's nature;
one ceases to care about what appears unattainable.
It may be said that this is a fatalistic theory, and leads to a
mild inactivity; but the question rather is whether it is true,
whether it is attested by experience. One improves, not by
overlooking facts, in however generous and enthusiastic a spirit,
but by facing facts, and making the best use one can of them.
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