We would be growing into monsters
of selfishness. J. R. Miller, Getting Along with
People, 1898. At every point as we go into
the thickening experiences of life, the lesson of living with
others meets us. It is not always easy to gracefully
accept these contacts with others and to enter into kindly relations
with them. There are some people who seem
to be very good alone, while no one comes near them, while
no other life touches theirs, when they have to think of no
one but themselves, who make wretched business of living when
they come into personal relations with others. Then, they are selfish,
tyrannical, despotic, willful, and exacting. They will not yield
to any other one's desire or needs. They must have their own
way, and they drive their life like a rough plowshare right
through the comforts, the desires, the feelings of others. It seems
almost a pity there could not be a few corners fenced off in
this great world for such people as these, where they could live
altogether alone, with no one ever to interfere with their
rights or liberties, or to impinge upon their comfort in any way,
but This is not God's ordinance for human lives. We are to live
together in families, in communities, in friendship circle. Indeed,
no worse fate could befall us than to be doomed to live alone. we might thus be absolved from
the duties of love, we could then have our own way. We would
not be required to think of anybody but ourselves, and there would
be no call for self-denial or sacrifice, but meanwhile we would
be growing into monsters of selfishness. We can never learn love's lessons,
except in life school, where the lessons are set for us in
actual human relationships. Finally, all of you, live in
harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers,
be compassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3, 8.