評論
打印
In adult life, as we have often observed, a bitter quarrel may change a man's opinion entirely. Antagonism to a man usually produces some antagonism to his opinions; and the bitterness felt against the man usually spreads to the idea for which he stands. What keen satisfaction we find in belittling the opinions, or attacking the opinions, of somebody of whom we are jealous, or of somebody against whom we bear a grudge! But, on the other hand, it is equally true that friendly feelings to a man have an effect in disposing us to feel friendly to his views.
正如我們經常看到的一樣，在成人生活里，一場激烈的爭吵會完全改變一個人的觀點。對某人的敵對往往會導致對他的觀點的敵對；對某人的怨恨也常常會殃及他的觀點。我們在貶低或攻擊那些我們妒忌或懷恨的人的觀點時會獲得多么強烈的滿足感呀!但是，從另一方面來說，對某個人的友好情感無疑會使我們對他的看法也感到友好。
Other opinions again are determined by what we may best call Fashion. To take one example: how largely our opinions on the merits of certain authors, or poets, or composers, are dictated merely by fashion! But the effect of fashion is very much wider than that: we trace it almost everywhere, in every field of thought. We tend very strongly to feel and to believe as others are feeling and believing. Not all others, perhaps; but others of our own set.
還有，其他一些觀點是由我們可以稱之為“潮流”的東西來決定的。舉例來說，我們對某些作家、詩人或作曲家的評價在很大程度上只是受時尚潮流左右！但是，時尚的影響力遠比這更廣泛：我們幾乎在每個地方、每個思想領域都能發現它的蹤跡。我們非常強烈地傾向于像其他人那樣去感受或相信同樣的事物。或許不是所有其他人，而是和我們同一類的人。
But we do not, as a rule, continue all our lives changing our sentiments and opinions with every change of fashion. Sooner or later our minds become fixed. Many a man holds his opinions today—because they happened to be in fashion ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty years ago.
但是一般說來，我們不會在自己的一生當中不斷地隨時尚潮流的每次變化而改變自己的情感和觀點。遲早有一天我們的思想會固定下來。許多人之所以持有他今天的觀點--是因為那些觀點碰巧在10年、20年、30年、40年或50年前曾經流行過。
