Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1893 — Other People’s Eyes. [ARTICLE]

Other People’s Eyes.

While a due regard for the opinions and convictions of other people is a saving grace of life, there is no greater mistake than to habitually contemplate one’s. friends or acquaintances through, the eyes of other people. With regard to events(the case is quite different. A fact is a fact. An occurrence is largely a fixed and definite- thing, and capableonly of giving a rather definite impression. But the individual is relative. As a musical instrument gives out one degree of harmony or another, or even discord, according to the touch and skill of the player without changing its essential character at all, so in a far greater way does theindividual reveal one set of qualities or another, or different aspects of the same quality, according to the person with whom he converses or with whom'he acts. Character in its fundamental basis is not fluctuating. The honest man does not become dishonest, nor the truthful man false, according to the company he is with; but in all the range of matters pertaining to harmony of temperament —and that includes many salient, qualities—one is to some extent what he is.made by his associates, and so, to keep the true focal vision, one must keep his own. You have found So-and-so to be especially invigorating and helpful In influence, and remarking this to your neighbor, you are told that he is, instead, dictatorial and trying. Which is the truer, or even the true view'? The probabilities are that each is true to the individual wh> sees it. for manifestations of character arerelative, and depend on the action and reaction of temperament.