war; after a successful one we praise its originator. In cases of ill-success, an attempt is always made to fasten the blame on somebody ; for non-success always causes dejection of spirit, the sole remedy against which is spontaneously applied by a new incitement of the sense of power—that is, by the condemnation of the “guilty one.” The culprit is not indeed the scapegoat. of the other: he is the victim of the weak, humiliated, depressed ones, who are eager to convince themselves by every means in their power that they still have some power left. Self-condemnation may likewise be a means of restoring, after a defeat, the sensation of strength. Contrariwise, the glorification of the originator is often an equally blind result of another craving, which wants to seize upon its victim—this time the sacrifice to the very victim has a sweet and inviting odour—for, when the sense of power in a nation or a society is surfeited by a great and fascinating success, and a weariness of victory has set in, pride is, to sole extent, cast aside; the sense of devotion springs up and looks out for an object. Whether we are blamed or praised, we usually afford the opportunity, and too often are snatched up and eagerly dragged in by our neighbours, for the purpose of giving an outlet to their pent-up feelings of reproach or praise; in both cases we confer a benefit upon them, for which we deserve no praise and they have no thanks.
