260 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
motives for right conduct, and finds egoism the abnormal, the exceptional thing, that wins applause and adherence.
The cynic declares that this Fool's Paradise of expectancy is debilitating, that shams rot out the moral fiber of a people, and that our first concern is to see things just as they are. Yet there is something to be said on the other side. The notice " Gentlemen will not spit on the floor," is optimistic, but it gets itself realized. The signal "England expects every man to do his duty," pro- vides no sanction, yet elicits noble effort. " It has been justly said," says Guyau, 1 " that the art of managing the young consists before anything else in assuming them to be as good as they wish themselves to be." " The same principles find their application in the art of governing men. Numerous facts from prison-life show that to treat a half criminal as a great criminal is to urge to crime." The open assumption on the part of everybody that of course everyone is going to be pure, honest, and public-spir- ited, acts on many men as an imperious suggestion they cannot but obey. Abandon it and you lose a stimulus to right action.
The tonic effect of this atmosphere of illusion may be shown bv an analogy. Usually the temper of asocial set is more cheer- ful and buoyant than the average mood of its members. The reason is that in all social intercourse, especially the developed kind, there is a secret understanding that each shall put his best foot foremost and keep his private griefs to himself. Good form bids each tell of his good luck, but not of his misfortunes, report his elations, but conceal his worries, pains, disease, and anguish. Each does this and requires it of the others on penalty of avoid- ance. The result is that the social atmosphere is charged with an ozone of gaiety, hopefulness, andjoie de vivre that helps each to bear his private burdens. Why may not a like beneficent illusion create a social atmosphere that will morally brace and buoy up those on the point of yielding to their selfish instincts?
des exalting the tone of social suggestion society inter- poses to exclude counter-suggestion. Knowing better than our
1 Education and Heredity, p. 26.
