The Varieties of Religious Experience - Penn State University

William Jamesliberately excludes evil from its field of vision; and although, whenthus nakedly stated, this might seem a difficult feat to perform forone who is intellectually sincere with himself and honest about facts,a little reflection shows that the situation is too complex to lie opento so simple a criticism.In the first place, happiness, like every other emotional state, hasblindness and insensibility to opposing facts given it as its instinctiveweapon for self-protection against disturbance. When happinessis actually in possession, the thought of evil can no more acquirethe feeling of reality than the thought of good can gain realitywhen melancholy rules. To the man actively happy, from whatevercause, evil simply cannot then and there be believed in. He mustignore it; and to the bystander he may then seem perversely to shuthis eyes to it and hush it up.But more than this: the hushing of it up may, in a perfectly candidand honest mind, grow into a deliberate religious policy, or partipris. Much of what we call evil is due entirely to the way men takethe phenomenon. It can so often be converted into a bracing andtonic good by a simple change of the sufferer’s inner attitude fromone of fear to one of fight; its sting so often departs and turns into arelish when, after vainly seeking to shun it, we agree to face aboutand bear it cheerfully, that a man is simply bound in honor, withreference to many of the facts that seem at first to disconcert hispeace, to adopt this way of escape. Refuse to admit their badness;despise their power; ignore their presence; turn your attention theother way; and so far as you yourself are concerned at any rate,though the facts may still exist, their evil character exists no longer.Since you make them evil or good by your own thoughts aboutthem, it is the ruling of your thoughts which proves to be yourprincipal concern.The deliberate adoption of an optimistic turn of mind thus makesits entrance into philosophy. And once in, it is hard to trace itslawful bounds. Not only does the human instinct for happiness,bent on self-protection by ignoring, keep working in its favor, buthigher inner ideals have weighty words to say. The attitude of unhappinessis not only painful, it is mean and ugly. What can bemore base and unworthy than the pining, puling, mumping mood,85