elf to
attain its object, and not help others. When self does not quickly
obtain a palpable result, it is paralyzed and discouraged, and turns
its back on reform under the most futile pretexts. I will give an
example:

A young bachelor became enthusiastic over the social reform of
abstinence from alcohol. For some years he worked with zeal, took part
in numerous public demonstrations, and became an apostle of total
abstinence. One day, after some failure, he turned his back on
abstinence, declaring that the movement had no future. Nevertheless,
the social movement of abstinence progressed without him. After some
years, he was asked the reason why he had abandoned the movement.
After having first of all repeated his pretext, he confessed that he
did not wish to appear eccentric. He admitted that he had never felt
so well as when he was an abstainer, appeared somewhat astonished to
learn that the movement had made so much progress without him, was
finally convinced of his error, and promised to return to the camp of
the faithful.

In common daily events of this kind lies the secret of the slow
progress of every social reform. Men who are momentarily enthusiastic
nearly always expect everything to progress according to their
imagination, and when they see that it will be some time before any
obvious result is attained, they become discouraged, because they have
neither the personal courage nor the perseverance to remain in a
minority and wait. The same want of perseverance, courage and judgment
is found in the education of children, and it will take a long time to
enlighten people on this subject.

It would seem that we have lost sight of our subject in occupying
ourselves with the irradiation of love, which forms the object of
social sentiments or ethics (vide Chapter V). But it is by exactly
understanding and realizing this irradiation of love that we shall
gradually suppress the unhealthy social aberrations of the sexual
appetite, and prevent them doing harm, by guiding them in the path of
a healthy morality. It is not the severe external constraint of
so-called moral laws, it is not by the threats or punishments of hell,
nor the promise of paradise, nor the moral preachings of the priests,
parents or pedagogues, nor an exalted asceticism, which can ever
construct a healthy, just and lasting sexual ethics. It is not by
words that we recognize the value of moral precepts, but by their
results. It is quite certain th