Why do we feel pain and discomfort about somebody spitting blood, though we may be adversely and ill-disposed towards him: From pity; we cease to think of ourselves, —so says again thoughtlessness. The truth is : in our pity—I mean to say in that which, in a misleading way, is usually called pity—we indeed think, not consciously but unconsciously, and very strongly, just as when slipping, we, unconsciously to ourselves, make the most efficient counter-motions, and in so doing evidently use our full mental powers. The mischance of another offends us; it would convict us of our impotence, perhaps of our cowardice, if we did not afford relief to it. Or it produces in itself a diminution of our honour in the eyes of others and of ourselves. Or an intimation of danger to us lurks in the stranger's mischance and suffering; and even as general tokens of human peril and frailty they are capable of painfully affecting us. We repel this kind of pain and offence, requiting it by an act of pity, behind which a subtle self-defence or even revenge may be hidden. The fact that, in the main, we strongly think of ourselves, may be guessed from the decision which we come to in all cases where we can avoid the sight of the suffering, starving, wailing ones; we decide on the opposite course whenever we can approach them as the more powerful, helpful ones; when we are sure of approbation, or wish to feel the contrast of our happiness, or hope to shake off our dulness by the sight. It is misleading to call the
