How to be happy though human / by W. Béran Wolfe.
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This ideal “ normal ” man is tolerant, and attempts to understand rather than to label his fellow-men. He is generous, patient, good-natured. He is not the victim of his emotions and feelings, but uses them as aids in the pursuit of the major interests of his life. He has time to say a helpful word to a fellow worker, and he is interested in making the world a better place to live in. Wealth as such is not the goal of his life, nor pleasure. He uses his wealth to foster the happiness of others, and his pleasure serves as a necessary relaxation, diversion, and recreation, that eventually contributes to his zest in performing the daily tasks of life. He is devoted to those who are dependent upon him, but interested also in others outside his family. He is independent in thought, resourceful in work, determined in effort without being aggressive, soft in manner, courteous in bearing, sympathetic in his attitude toward his fellow-men, altruistic without being senti¬ mental, considerate, many-sided, poised with the certainty of one who is at once conscious of his success without losing sight of the insignificant value of that success in the long perspectives of time, place, and civilization. In a word, he is a happy man. Not all of us pursue an ideal goal, and therefore our characters vary markedly from this ideal picture of an ideal character. Our personality takes form and shape not only from the nature of the goal which we pursue, but also from the manner in which we pursue it. We shall see, therefore, that human beings may be catalogued according to their goal in life, and according to their technique of self-sculpture. We shall find men and women who have set themselves a task too great for human accomplishment because their sense of inferiority is so profound that only a goal of godlikeness can satisfy them. In contrast to these we find others whose fear of the difficulties of life has led them to circumscribe the sphere of their activity to such an extent that they content them¬ selves with being kings in their little sideshows. Furthermore, there are those who, having become