Let us
remind ourselves that to be human is, for one thing, to speak and
act with a certain note of gentleness, a quality mixed of
spontaneity and intelligence. This is necessary for wholesome
life in any age, but particularly amidst confused affairs and
shifting standards. Genuineness is not mere simplicity, for that
may lack vitality, and genuineness does not. We expect what we
call genuine to have pith and strength of fiber. Genuineness is a
quality which we sometimes mean to include when we speak of
individuality. Individuality is lost the moment you submit to
passing modes or fashions, the creations of an artificial
society; and so is genuineness. No man is genuine who is forever
trying to pattern his life after the lives of other people--
unless, indeed, he be a genuine dolt. But individuality is by no
means the same as genuineness; for individuality may be
associated with the most extreme and even ridiculous
eccentricity, while genuineness we conceive to be always
wholesome, balanced, and touched with dignity. It is a quality
that goes with good sense and self-respect. It is a sort of
robust moral sanity, mixed of elements both moral and
intellectual. It is found in natures too strong to be mere
trimmers and conformers, too well poised and thoughtful to fling
off into intemperate protest and revolt.
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