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superiors　of　the　foolish　souls　who　mock　them　…　better；　even　

misguided　efforts；　than　the　ignoble　stagnant　quagmire　of　slouch　

into　which　we　seem　to　be　slowly　descending。









CHAPTER　9　…　Social　Suggestion





THE　question　of　how　far　we　are　unconsciously　influenced　by　people　

and　surroundings；　in　our　likes　and　dislikes；　our　opinions；　and　even　

in　our　pleasures　and　intimate　tastes；　is　a　delicate　and　interesting　

one；　for　the　line　between　success　and　failure　in　the　world；　as　on　

the　stage　or　in　most　of　the　professions；　is　so　narrow　and　depends　

so　often　on　what　humor　one's　〃public〃　happen　to　be　in　at　a　

particular　moment；　that　the　subject　is　worthy　of　consideration。



Has　it　never　happened　to　you；　for　instance；　to　dine　with　friends　

and　go　afterwards　in　a　jolly　humor　to　the　play　which　proved　so　

delightful　that　you　insist　on　taking　your　family　immediately　to　see　

it；　when　to　your　astonishment　you　discover　that　it　is　neither　

clever　nor　amusing；　on　the　contrary　rather　dull。　　Your　family　look　

at　you　in　amazement　and　wonder　what　you　had　seen　to　admire　in　such　

an　asinine　performance。　　There　was　a　case　of　suggestion！　　You　had　

been　influenced　by　your　friends　and　had　shared　their　opinions。　　The　

same　thing　occurs　on　a　higher　scale　when　one　is　raised　out　of　one's　

self　by　association　with　gifted　and　original　people；　a　communion　

with　more　cultivated　natures　which　causes　you　to　discover　and　

appreciate　a　thousand　hidden　beauties　in　literature；　art　or　music　

that　left　to　yourself；　you　would　have　failed　to　notice。　　Under　

these　circumstances　you　will　often　be　astonished　at　the　point　and　

piquancy　of　your　own　conversation。　　This　is　but　too　true　of　a　

number　of　subjects。



We　fondly　believe　our　opinions　and　convictions　to　be　original；　and　

with　innocent　conceit；　imagine　that　we　have　formed　them　for　

ourselves。　　The　illusion　of　being　unlike　other　people　is　a　common　

vanity。　　Beware　of　the　man　who　asserts　such　a　claim。　　He　is　sure　to　

be　a　bore　and　will　serve　up　to　you；　as　his　own；　a　muddle　of　ideas　

and　opinions　which　he　has　absorbed　like　a　sponge　from　his　

surroundings。



No　place　is　more　propitious　for　studying　this　curious　phenomenon；　

than　behind　the　scenes　of　a　theatre；　the　last　few　nights　before　a　

first　performance。　　The　whole　company　is　keyed　up　to　a　point　of　

mutual　admiration　that　they　are　far　from　feeling　generally。　　〃The　

piece　is　charming　and　sure　to　be　a　success。〃　　The　author　and　the　

interpreters　of　his　thoughts　are　in　complete　communion。　　The　first　

night　comes。　　The　piece　is　a　failure！　　Drop　into　the　greenroom　then　

and　you　will　find　an　astonishing　change　has　taken　place。　　The　Star　

will　take　you　into　a　corner　and　assert　that；　she　〃always　knew　the　

thing　could　not　go；　it　was　too　imbecile；　with　such　a　company；　it　

was　folly　to　expect　anything　else。〃　　The　author　will　abuse　the　Star　

and　the　management。　　The　whole　troupe　is　frankly　disconcerted；　like　

people　aroused　out　of　a　hypnotic　sleep；　wondering　what　they　had　

seen　in　the　play　to　admire。



In　the　social　world　we　are　even　more　inconsistent；　accepting　with　

tameness　the　most　astonishing　theories　and　opinions。　　Whole　circles　

will　go　on　assuring　each　other　how　clever　Miss　So…and…So　is；　or；　

how　beautiful　they　think　someone　else。　　Not　because　these　good　

people　are　any　cleverer；　or　more　attractive　than　their　neighbors；　

but　simply　because　it　is　in　the　air　to　have　these　opinions　about　

them。　　To　such　an　extent　does　this　hold　good；　that　certain　persons　

are　privileged　to　be　vulgar　and　rude；　to　say　impertinent　things　and　

make　remarks　that　would　ostracize　a　less　fortunate　individual　from　

the　polite　world　for　ever；　society　will　only　smilingly　shrug　its　

shoulders　and　say：　〃It　is　only　Mr。　So…and…So's　way。〃　　It　is　useless　

to　assert　that　in　cases　like　these；　people　are　in　possession　of　

their　normal　senses。　　They　are　under　influences　of　which　they　are　

perfectly　unconscious。



Have　you　ever　seen　a　piece　guyed？　　Few　sadder　sights　exist；　the　

human　being　rarely　getting　nearer　the　brute　than　when　engaged　in　

this　amusement。　　Nothing　the　actor　or　actress　can　do　will　satisfy　

the　public。　　Men　who　under　ordinary　circumstances　would　be　

incapable　of　insulting　a　woman；　will　whistle　and　stamp　and　laugh；　

at　an　unfortunate　girl　who　is　doing　her　utmost　to　amuse　them。　　A　

terrible　example　of　this　was　given　two　winters　ago　at　one　of　our　

concert　halls；　when　a　family　of　Western　singers　were　subjected　to　

absolute　ill…treatment　at　the　hands　of　the　public。　　The　young　girls　

were　perfectly　sincere；　in　their　rude　way；　but　this　did　not　prevent　

men　from　offering　them　every　insult　malice　could　devise；　and　making　

them　a　target　for　every　missile　at　hand。　　So　little　does　the　public　

think　for　itself　in　cases　like　this；　that　at　the　opening　of　the　

performance　had　some　well…known　person　given　the　signal　for　

applause；　the　whole　audience　would；　in　all　probability；　have　been　

delighted　and　made　the　wretched　sisters　a　success。



In　my　youth　it　was　the　fashion　to　affect　admiration　for　the　Italian　

school　of　painting　and　especially　for　the　great　masters　of　the　

Renaissance。　　Whole　families　of　perfectly　inartistic　English　and　

Americans　might　then　he　heard　conscientiously　admiring　the　ceiling　

of　the　Sistine　Chapel　or　Leonardo's　Last　Supper　（Botticelli　had　not　

been　invented　then）　in　the　choicest　guide…book　language。



When　one　considers　the　infinite　knowledge　of　technique　required　to　

understand　the　difficulties　overcome　by　the　giants　of　the　

Renaissance　and　to　appreciate　the　intrinsic　qualities　of　their　

creations；　one　asks　one's　self　in　wonder　what　our　parents　admired　

in　those　paintings；　and　what　tempted　them　to　bring　home　and　adorn　

their　houses　with　such　dreadful　copies　of　their　favorites。　　For　if　

they　appreciated　the　originals　they　never　would　have　bought　the　

copies；　and　if　the　copies　pleased　them；　they　must　have　been　

incapable　of　enjoying　the　originals。　　Yet　all　these　people　thought　

themselves　perfectly　sincere。　　To…day　you　will　see　the　same　thing　

going　on　before　the　paintings　of　Claude　Monet　and　Besnard；　the　same　

admiration　expressed　by　people　who；　you　feel　perfectly　sure；　do　not　

realize　why　these　works　of　art　are　superior　and　can　no　more　explain　

to　you　why　they　think　as　they　do　than　the　sheep　that　follow　each　

other　through　a　hole　in　a　wall；　can　give　a　reason　for　their　

actions。



Dress　and　fashion　in　clothes　are　subjects　above　all　others；　where　

the　ineptitude　of　the　human　mind　is　most　evident。　　Can　it　be　

explained　in　any　other　way；　why　the　fashions　of　yesterday　always　

appear　so　hideous　to　us；　…　almost　grotesque？　　Take　up　an　old　album　

of　photographs　and　glance　over　the　faded　contents。　　Was　there　ever　

anything　so　absurd？　　Look　at　the　top　hats　men　wore；　and　at　the　

skirts　of　the　women！



The　mother　of　a　family　said　to　me　the　other　day：　〃When　I　recall　the　

way　in　which　girls　were　dressed　in　my　youth；　I　wonder　how　any　of　us　

ever　got　a　husband。〃



Study　a　photograph　of　the　Empress　Eugenie；　that　supreme　arbiter　of　

elegance　and　grace。　　Oh！　those　bunchy　hooped　skirts！　　That　awful　

India　shawl　pinned　off　the　shoulders；　and　the　bonnet　perched　on　a　

roll　of　hair　in　the　nape　of　the　neck！　　What　were　people　thinking　of　

at　that　time？　　Were　they　lunatics　to　deform　in　this　way　the　

beautiful　lines　of　the　human　body　which　it　should　be　the　first　

object　of　toilet　to　enhance；　or　were　they　only　lacking　in　the　

artistic　sense？　　Nothing　of　the　kind。　　And　what　is　more；　they　were　

convinced　that　the　real　secret　of　beauty　in　dress　had　been　

discovered　by　them；　that　past　fashions　were　absurd；　and　that　the　

future　could　not　improve　on　their　creations。　　The　sculptors　and　

painters　of　that　day　（men　of　as　great　talent　as　any　now　living）；　

were　enthusiastic　in　reproducing　those　monstrosities　in　marble　or　

on　canvas；　and　authors　raved　about　the　ideal　grace　with　which　a　

certain　beauty　draped　her　shawl。



Another　marked　manner　in　which　we　are　influenced　by　circumambient　

suggestion；　is　in　the　transient　furore　certain　games　and　pastimes　

create。　　We　see　intelligent　people　so　given　over　to　this　influence　

as　barely　to　allow　themselves　time　to　eat　and　sleep；　begrudging　the　

hours　thus　stolen　from　their　favorite　amusement。



Ten　years　ago；　tennis　occupied　every　moment　of　our　young　people's　

time；　now　golf　has　transplanted　tennis　in　public　favor；　which　does　

not　prove；　however；　that　the　latter　is　the　better　game；　but　simply　

that　compelled　by　the　accumulated　force　of　other　people's　opinions；　

youths　and　maidens；　old　duffers　and　mature　spinsters　are　willing　to　

pass　many　hours　daily　in　all　kinds　of　weather；　solemnly　following　

an　indian…rubber　ball　across　ten…acre　lots。



If　you　suggest　to　people　who　are　laboring　under　the　illusion　they　

are　amusing　themselves　that　the　game；　absorbing　so　much　of　their　

attention；　is　not　as　exciting　as　tennis　nor　as　clever　in　

combinations　as　croque