The essay is about two doctrines;
effort and
resignation.
doctrine of effort has been preached by efficiency experts and muscular Christians; where as, the doctrine of resignation has been preached by saints and mystics. Both doctrines have had extreme advocates but each of these opposing schools has had a part of the truth, but not the whole.
In the beginning, he talks in favour of the doctrine of effort. Firstly, he takes the example of
happiness. Except some rare fortunate cases,
Man has to make an effort to be happy where he faces avoidable and unavoidable misfortunes, illness and psychological problems, poverty and ill will, and struggle. For instance, a man of good nature who inherits good fortune and enjoys good health might live life comfortably. But, there are multitudinous people who are not rich, who are not good natured and who, with uneasy passion, make their well-regulated life quite boring and those who don’t enjoy good health. So, happiness is more of an achievement than a gift of gods. Secondly, every form of desire for power involves effort. Every kind of public work involves desire for some kind of power even, a purely selfish man who pities human misery, would desire power to alleviate it. On the other hand, the only man indifferent to power would certainly be indifferent to his fellowmen.
The doctrine of effort is not achievable in all circumstances. It must not be preached in certain cases. It does not play much role where the chances of achievement are very few.
Russell describes the circumstances in which the doctrine of resignation is beneficial but not acquired easily. Resignation is of two kinds; one rooted in despair and the other in
unconquerable hope. Resignation that is rooted in despair is out of pessimistic approach. The other sort based on unconquerable hope is optimistic. Hope that is unconquerable is usually large and impersonal such as, escape from death. He also talks about the
conquest of happiness, in which, this doctrine plays as important a part as played by the doctrine of effort. The attitude required is that of doing one’s best while leaving the issue to fate. There are many unavoidable misfortunes in a man’s life for which man must not waste time and labour that might affect some more important object in his reach.
There are a number of other cases in which resignation is much easier. There are situations in which only subsidiary purposes suffer, while the major purposes of life continue to offer a prospect of success. If a person is really absorbed in his work, he would never make a fuss about such incidental troubles like a wet day. Secondly, there are some people who have a little patience even with minor troubles such as becoming angry if the dinner is badly cooked. Worry, fret, and irritation are emotions which can be overcome by resignation. It can triumph over large impersonal hopes which enable a man to bear his minor problems as well. For instance, if he bears with the troubles of his unhappy marriage, he would possibly be patient when he drops umbrella in the mud.
In the long run, there is nothing more fatiguing than daily effort to accept things which daily become more unacceptable. For example, those who can only do their work when supported by self-deception had better first learn to endure the truth. A certain kind of resignation is involved in willingness to face the truth about ourselves. Only resignation provides protection against the disappointments and disillusionments to which the self-deceiver is liable and to be done with this effort is an absolute condition of secure and lasting happiness. The golden mean serves as a middle path in maintaining balance between the doctrines of effort and resignation.
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