HOW WE SHOULD ATTACK.--The reasons for which men believe or do not believe are in very few people as strong as they might be. As a rule, in order to shake a belief it is far from necessary to use the heaviest weapon of attack. Many attain their object by merely making the attack with some noise--in fact, pop-guns are often enough. In dealing with very vain persons, the semblance of a strong attack is enough. They think they are being taken quite seriously, and readily give way.
DEATH.--Through the certain prospect of death a precious, fragrant drop of frivolity might be mixed with every life--and now, you singular druggist-souls, you have made of death a drop of poison, unpleasant to taste, which makes the whole of life hideous.
REPENTANCE.--Never allow repentance free play, but say at once to yourself, "That would be adding a second piece of folly to the first." If you have worked evil, you must bethink yourself of doing good. If you are punished for your actions, submit to the punishment with the feeling that by this very submission you are somehow doing good, in that you are deterring others from falling into the same error. Every malefactor who is punished has a right to consider himself a benefactor to mankind.
BECOMING A THINKER.--How can any one become a thinker if he does not spend at least a third part of the day without passions, men, and books?
THE BEST REMEDY.--A little health on and off is the best remedy for the invalid.
DON'T TOUCH.--There are dreadful people who, instead of solving a problem, complicate it for those who deal with it and make it harder to solve.(29) Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be entreated not to hit the nail at all.
FORGETTING NATURE.--We speak of Nature, and, in doing so, forget ourselves: we ourselves are Nature, _quand même_.--Consequently, Nature is something quite different from what we feel on hearing her name pronounced.
PROFUNDITY AND ENNUI.--In the case of profound men, as of deep wells, it takes a long time before anything that is thrown into them reaches the bottom. The spectators, who generally do not wait long enough, too readily look upon such a man as callous and hard--or even as boring.
WHEN IT IS TIME TO VOW FIDELITY TO ONESELF.--We sometimes go astray in an intellectual direction which does not correspond to our talents. For a time we struggle heroically against wind and tide, really against ourselves; but finally we become weary and we pant. What we accomplish gives us no real pleasure, since we think that we have paid too heavy a price for these successes. We even despair of our productivity, of our future, perhaps in the midst of victory.--Finally, finally we turn back--and then the wind swells our sails and bears us into our smooth water. What bliss! How certain of victory we feel! Only now do we know what we are and what we intend, and now we vow fidelity to ourselves, and have a right to do so--as men that know.