The-Conquest-of-Happiness-by-Bertrand-Russell

though in a modified and less definite form, exists
among human beings. If it were not for this special
emotion there would be almost nothing to be said
for the family as an institution, since children might
equally well be left to the care of professionals.
As things are, however, the special affection which
parents have for children, provided their instincts
are not atrophied, is of value both to the parents
themselves and to the children. The value of
parental affection to children lies largely in the fact
that it is more reliable than any other affection.
One’s friends like one for one’s merits, one’s
lovers for one’s charms; if the merits or the charms
diminish, friends and lovers may vanish. But it is
in times of misfortune that parents are most to be
relied upon, in illness, and even in disgrace if the
parents are of the right sort. We all feel pleasure
when we are admired for our merits, but most of us
are sufficiently modest at heart to feel that such
admiration is precarious. Our parents love us
because we are their children, and this is an
unalterable fact, so that we feel more safe with
them than with anyone else. In times of success this