Attitude and Character
An extract from the Catholic Truth Society publication
Written by Wiliam Lawson SJ
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| One plus one equals five....? |
Human beings, in their attitude to life, are either optimists or pessimists. There are innumerable shades of optimism, from the 'incurable' sort to the cautious and occasional: and pessimists range similarly from dwellers in unrelieved gloom to those who vary from light to shade like a landscape mottled with cloud-shadows.
It is, you may think, a matter of temperament. Your attitude to life depends on the character with which God endowed you. Perhaps He made you, fortunately for you, of the cheerful sort, enjoying the character that use to be called sanguine, full of the joy of living, much in demand for parties and picnics, brightening the lives of others by the freshness and joy of your manner and appearance. Without much effort, you bring happiness to yourself and others.
Small credit to you, it is a gift of God.
And small blame to you, surely, if you are a burden to yourself, and no help to others!
Is it your fault if, by character and temperament, almost by nature, you look on the dark side of things? You don't like being depressed. You are depressed, discouraged and disconsolate because you can't help it.
I should like to convince you that you can help it. No matter what your character may be, there is never any need to be oppressed by life and unequal to it. More than that, it is wrong to be afraid of life, to lose courage, to think that life is too much for you. Being a Christian, you have a privelege and a duty of constant happiness and steady courage. A Christian is, by profession:
- cheerful,
- confident,
- peaceful,
- serene and
- courageous
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