become their disciples, the indomitable hardihood with which they
were themselves filled."

We see in this fable how all the qualities of poise worked together for
the accomplishment of the destined end.

First courage, which must not be confounded either with rashness or with
effrontery.

Courage, the perfect manifestation of confidence in oneself.

This quality is at the bottom of all great enterprises, of which all the
risks, however, have been carefully considered in advance.

The man of courage does not deceive himself as to the dangers of the
deeds he has determined to perform. He accepts them bravely. He has
foreseen them all, and he knows how to act in order to turn them to his
own advantage.

The coolness characteristic of all men of poise gives them the power of
estimating wisely how things are likely to turn out.

They do not fail to appreciate the importance of certain circumstances,
to realize their bearing, and to admit the dangers to which they may
give rise. Thus they are ready for the fray and are armed at all points
for a well-considered defense.

Shame on the superficial people who close their eyes in order not to see
the obstacles that their own lack of foresight has prevented them from
anticipating.

Let us press back the timid; declare war on the boasters; show our
contempt for the inveterately modest (who are only so to flatter their
own vanity); express our hatred of the envious, who are always
incapable; distrust the slothful; and arm ourselves with a justifiable
pride, which, by imparting to us a sense of our merits, will enable us
to acquire poise, true index of those who are legitimately sure of
themselves and are conscious of their sterling worth.

But, above all, let us raise in our inmost hearts a temple to reason,
the author of that quiet confidence that makes success a certainty.

This is the work of the man who has achieved the conquest of poise. It
is the one particular evidence of this priceless quality.

Poise, by inspiring its possessor with a belief in his merits, that is
productive of good resolutions, enables him to employ in relation to
himself the fine art of absolutely sincere reasoning.

There are, as is well-known, many ways of looking at things.

Every thing has several sides and, in accordance with the angle at which
we examine it, seems to us more or less favorable.

The superficial man only sees things, and only _wants_ to see them, from
the viewpoint