| Sympathy, Knowledge and Poise seem to be the | | | | many instances of this loss of control. The individual |
| three ingredients that are most needed in forming the | | | | has Sympathy but not Poise, and therefore his life is |
| Gentle Man. I place these elements according to their | | | | worthless to himself and to the world. |
| value. No man is great who does not have Sympathy | | | | He symbols inefficiency and not helpfulness. Poise |
| plus, and the greatness of men can be safely gauged | | | | reveals itself more in voice than it does in words; more |
| by their sympathies. Sympathy and imagination are | | | | in thought than in action; more in atmosphere than in |
| twin sisters. Your heart must go out to all men, the high, | | | | conscious life. It is a spiritual quality, and is felt more |
| the low, the rich, the poor, the learned, the unlearned, | | | | than it is seen. It is not a matter of bodily size, nor of |
| the good, the bad, the wise and the foolish it is | | | | bodily attitude, nor attire, nor of personal comeliness: it |
| necessary to be one with them all, else you can never | | | | is a state of inward being, and of knowing your cause |
| comprehend them. Sympathy! it is the touchstone to | | | | is just. And so you see it is a great and profound |
| every secret, the key to all knowledge, the open | | | | subject after all, great in its ramifications, limitless in |
| sesame of all hearts. Put yourself in the other man's | | | | extent, implying the entire science of right living. I once |
| place and then you will know why he thinks certain | | | | met a man who was deformed in body and little more |
| things and does certain deeds. Put yourself in his place | | | | than a dwarf, but who had such Spiritual Gravity such |
| and your blame will dissolve itself into pity, and your | | | | Poise that to enter a room where he was, was to feel |
| tears will wipe out the record of his misdeeds. The | | | | his presence and acknowledge his superiority. To allow |
| saviors of the world have simply been men with | | | | Sympathy to waste itself on unworthy objects is to |
| wondrous sympathy. | | | | deplete one's life forces. To conserve is the part of |
| But Knowledge must go with Sympathy, else the | | | | wisdom, and reserve is a necessary element in all |
| emotions will become maudlin and pity may be wasted | | | | good literature, as well as in everything else. |
| on a poodle instead of a child; on a field-mouse instead | | | | Poise being the control of our Sympathy and |
| of a human soul. Knowledge in use is wisdom, and | | | | Knowledge, it implies a possession of these attributes, |
| wisdom implies a sense of values you know a big | | | | for without having Sympathy and Knowledge you |
| thing from a little one, a valuable fact from a trivial one. | | | | have nothing to control but your physical body. To |
| Tragedy and comedy are simply questions of value: a | | | | practise Poise as a mere gymnastic exercise, or study |
| little misfit in life makes us laugh, a great one is tragedy | | | | in etiquette, is to be self-conscious, stiff, preposterous |
| and cause for expression of grief. | | | | and ridiculous. Those who cut such fantastic tricks |
| Poise is the strength of body and strength of mind to | | | | before high heaven as make angels weep, are men |
| control your Sympathy and your Knowledge. Unless | | | | void of Sympathy and Knowledge trying to cultivate |
| you control your emotions they run over and you | | | | Poise. Their science is a mere matter of what to do |
| stand in the mire. Sympathy must not run riot, or it is | | | | with arms and legs. Poise is a question of spirit |
| valueless and tokens weakness instead of strength. In | | | | controlling flesh, heart controlling attitude. |
| every hospital for nervous disorders are to be found | | | | |