How to be happy though human / by W. Béran Wolfe.
220/400
201 (canvas 221)
The image contains the following text:
differentiate the human male and the human female for
the purpose of facilitating and insuring the evolution of
mankind. Not to solve the sexual problem, therefore,
is a negation of life, and resistance to the stream of
evolution. The conflict of human motives, of private
logic, and of individualistic egoism with the profound
simplicity and directness of nature is a vain and futile
battle. Nature destroys rebels and heretics with ruthless
celerity.
In contrast to the other two great problems, failure to
solve the problem of sex need not result in personal
disaster. Failure to solve the social and occupational
problems entails death or insanity, but the failure to solve
the sexual problem satisfactorily is not dangerous to the
life of the individual, however subversive to the life of
the race. It would appear, therefore, that the solution of
the sexual problem lies within the scope of our individual
“ free will ”, and it may or may not be solved according to
our individual whims in the matter. It is for this very
reason that aberrations in the solution of the sexual
problem are most numerous. The tyranny of our
stomachs compels us to work lest we starve, and the
tyranny of loneliness compels us to make certain gestures
towards our fellow-men lest we become insane. But men
and women can evade the solution of the sexual problems
and still live. Those who are vainly seeking to avoid the
responsibilities of maturity will be found grudgingly
contributing a minimum of work and social cooperation,
while the problem of sex is joyously evaded in its entirety.
Just because the solution of the sex problem postulates
a previous adequate solution of the other two great groups
of problems, it is the problem most frequently left
unsolved. In no other problem does the seeker after
guidance find so many obstacles in his wray. Traditional
secrecy and misinformation about sex is still the usual
attitude toward the adolescent who asks for guidance, yet
in this very problem ignorance leads to the most
catastrophic results. Furthermore, many false solutions
of the sex problem are tacitly tolerated by society despite