The Power of Appreciation - 07/14/1916

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Jany 14^th 1916

The Power of appreciation & its Culture

"My people are perish^g for lack of knowledge." This is a verse taken from the Hosea one of the so-called minor Hebrew Prophets (4.⁶) In the days of this prophet, decline degeneration & destruction stared Israel in the face. He saw his country trembling on the edge of a precipice. And his analysis of the situation is summed up in the pithy words I have quoted. Forgetful of God & duty through the pernicious influence of prosperity, the Jewish people (then as now in these modern days) seemed to have lost their power of appreciation. In [ ] their experiences They had been blinded to an adequate sense of the appreciation of the good, the true & the beautiful in life. Their vision was blurred & their judgment warped. As a result they were like a rudderless vessel floundering about on the great ocean of life. In Browning's "Saul" one of the greatest poems of modern times a remarkable picture is presented to us dealing with a similar theme. Therein we see in magnificent outline the sturdy young man David -- gifted of God, endeavoring through the psychological influence of music to awaken the soul of Saul -- the talented Ruler of Israel, that had seemed to be petrified to & dead.

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Through the medium of music we see a picture of the inspired s[ ] of Israel trying to awaken stir the heart of Saul to an appreciation of the good things of life -- nature & its wonders the power of goodness in the world, the gifts of man & its uses to mankind, & lastly did he try to make him awaken in him the young King ruler an appreciation of his own remarkable God-given talents whereby with he could serve his own people. But alas he did not succeed & the tragedy of Saul's wasted talents warped & corroded through Prejudice vanity & selfishness remains a warning to the world for all time to come. Like Napoleon with his old guard young Saul was surrounded by a band of youths of "brave beauty & [brewing] stature". But he was untrue to faithless in his massive task, untrue to his people & his friends. And who does not know that an appreciation of friendship is one of the C[ ]ing Jewels of life.? Indecision & a woeful lack of appreciation regarding the time & estimates & values of life killed his manhood. Once a brave boy stainless & true giving promise of great thing & a brilliant career, his life was became a Tra hopeless tragedy

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pitiful enough to bring tears to the eyes. How often is talent a danger, greatness a menace & prosperity a peril! How often do the mighty fall & the weapons of the great perish. He who would write a heroic poem says Milton must first live a heroic life." He who would be King must himself be Kingly. He who would gain the confidence & affection of others must himself be lovable & true. And he would carve a name for himself more enduring than marble must celebrate an appreciation for of the qualities, goodness, mind & heart superiority features of [ ] contained perchance in others. (In my humble opinion) if there is one talent more than another that we ought to try & is well worth cultivateing it is this wonderful & strengthing exalting power of appreciation; for that is, an estimate of anything everything men & things at their its true value. In the last analysis this means largeness of vision & breadth of view & every men & women of such qualities are invariably admired. True nobility in fact resolves itself into an adequate & right appreciation of the strength & weakness of people & the our thoughtful relationship to them.

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There is the appreciation of Character, of Talent, of Art, of Liter- ature, of music, of great men & women, of good work done in office, store or factory. In fact a little consideration of this subject will bring us to the conclusion that it entered into every conceivable phase of humanlife. There are thousands of people of good repute & respectability that will not or cannot see the worth or superiority of others & [ ] who often maliciously or designedly if not maliciously place a wrong &or & unjust value upon the life & work of others. This smallness of men's natures & of women's too, is glaringly evident in to those most of us. One singer will d subtly seek to depreciate the work of any or the voice of another. One And the Same may often truthfully be said of the business man, the Artist, the Doctor, the Lawyer, the minister. And Frequently one store the our big Institutions our Universities our Colleges & training Schools if they do not actually delay the each other's merits of each other will refuse to recognize any them in any positive manner. There are many who cannot view the success of others in the business or professional world without feeling a sense of chagrin or pain. It is all a matter of Cultivating the right mental attitude

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The great poet Goethe says "Against the superiority of another, there is no remedy but love." We need to cultivate a noble & generous attitude towards superiority of all kinds & this can only be of benefit to ourselves. For to ad recognize unusual worth & merit in another is stamp ourselves as men & women of generous hearts & broad b minds. And to persist in this adopting this attitude is means the ultimate eradication of harmful senseless prejudice that has done more to retard the wheels of progress in every sphere of thought than anything any other factor I know of. The English for instance though being the reputation of sincerity of character & sig singleness of heart have never been able to understand the shining sterling qualities of either the French and the Germans nations because not because they find it impossible but because they have never taken the trouble to put themselves in right relations with these nations & because of a quiet [ ]ance of spirit that impels them to attach a ne plus ultra superiority to themselves in contrast to all others. To quote our Emerson "They hate the French as frivolous, they hate the Irish as aimless & the Germans as professors."