A Man Must Be Himself Convinced If

Literature Delivers Tidings Of The World Within And The World Without.

It Is Not True That A Man Can Believe Or Disbelieve What He Will. But It Is Certain That An Active Desire To Find Any Proposition True Will Unconsciously Tend To That Result By Dismissing Importunate Suggestions Which Run Counter To The Belief, And Welcoming Those Which Favor It. The Psychological Law, That We Only See What Interests Us, And Only Assimilate What Is Adapted To Our Condition, Causes The Mind To Select Its Evidence.

All Bad Literature Rests Upon Imperfect Insight, Or Upon Imitation, Which May Be Defined As Seeing At Second-hand.

When A Man Fails To See The Truth Of Certain Generally Accepted Views, There Is No Law Compelling Him To Provoke Animosity By Announcing His Dissent.

In Science The Paramount Appeal Is To The Intellect-its Purpose Being Instruction; In Art, The Paramount Appeal Is To The Emotions-its Purpose Being Pleasure.