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sacrifice； which is merely a survival of savage mutilation。 In
fact； it does not come to man with any claims upon him at all。 It
comes naturally and inevitably out of man。 It is the point to
which all development tends。 It is the differentiation to which
all organisms grow。 It is the perfection that is inherent in every
mode of life； and towards which every mode of life quickens。 And
so Individualism exercises no compulsion over man。 On the
contrary； it says to man that he should suffer no compulsion to be
exercised over him。 It does not try to force people to be good。
It knows that people are good when they are let alone。 Man will
develop Individualism out of himself。 Man is now so developing
Individualism。 To ask whether Individualism is practical is like
asking whether Evolution is practical。 Evolution is the law of
life； and there is no evolution except towards Individualism。
Where this tendency is not expressed； it is a case of artificially…
arrested growth； or of disease； or of death。
Individualism will also be unselfish and unaffected。 It has been
pointed out that one of the results of the extraordinary tyranny of
authority is that words are absolutely distorted from their proper
and simple meaning； and are used to express the obverse of their
right signification。 What is true about Art is true about Life。 A
man is called affected； nowadays； if he dresses as he likes to
dress。 But in doing that he is acting in a perfectly natural
manner。 Affectation； in such matters； consists in dressing
according to the views of one's neighbour； whose views； as they are
the views of the majority； will probably be extremely stupid。 Or a
man is called selfish if he lives in the manner that seems to him
most suitable for the full realisation of his own personality； if；
in fact； the primary aim of his life is self…development。 But this
is the way in which everyone should live。 Selfishness is not
living as one wishes to live； it is asking others to live as one
wishes to live。 And unselfishness is letting other people's lives
alone； not interfering with them。 Selfishness always aims at
creating around it an absolute uniformity of type。 Unselfishness
recognises infinite variety of type as a delightful thing； accepts
it； acquiesces in it； enjoys it。 It is not selfish to think for
oneself。 A man who does not think for himself does not think at
all。 It is grossly selfish to require of ones neighbour that he
should think in the same way； and hold the same opinions。 Why
should he？ If he can think； he will probably think differently。
If he cannot think； it is monstrous to require thought of any kind
from him。 A red rose is not selfish because it wants to be a red
rose。 It would be horribly selfish if it wanted all the other
flowers in the garden to be both red and roses。 Under
Individualism people will be quite natural and absolutely
unselfish； and will know the meanings of the words； and realise
them in their free； beautiful lives。 Nor will men be egotistic as
they are now。 For the egotist is he who makes claims upon others；
and the Individualist will not desire to do that。 It will not give
him pleasure。 When man has realised Individualism； he will also
realise sympathy and exercise it freely and spontaneously。 Up to
the present man has hardly cultivated sympathy at all。 He has
merely sympathy with pain； and sympathy with pain is not the
highest form of sympathy。 All sympathy is fine； but sympathy with
suffering is the least fine mode。 It is tainted with egotism。 It
is apt to become morbid。 There is in it a certain element of
terror for our own safety。 We become afraid that we ourselves
might be as the leper or as the blind； and that no man would have
care of us。 It is curiously limiting； too。 One should sympathise
with the entirety of life； not with life's sores and maladies
merely； but with life's joy and beauty and energy and health and
freedom。 The wider sympathy is； of course； the more difficult。 It
requires more unselfishness。 Anybody can sympathise with the
sufferings of a friend； but it requires a very fine nature … it
requires； in fact； the nature of a true Individualist … to
sympathise with a friend's success。
In the modern stress of competition and struggle for place； such
sympathy is naturally rare； and is also very much stifled by the
immoral ideal of uniformity of type and conformity to rule which is
so prevalent everywhere； and is perhaps most obnoxious in England。
Sympathy with pain there will； of course； always be。 It is one of
the first instincts of man。 The animals which are individual； the
higher animals； that is to say； share it with us。 But it must be
remembered that while sympathy with joy intensifies the sum of joy
in the world； sympathy with pain does not really diminish the
amount of pain。 It may make man better able to endure evil； but
the evil remains。 Sympathy with consumption does not cure
consumption； that is what Science does。 And when Socialism has
solved the problem of poverty； and Science solved the problem of
disease； the area of the sentimentalists will be lessened； and the
sympathy of man will be large； healthy； and spontaneous。 Man will
have joy in the contemplation of the joyous life of others。
For it is through joy that the Individualism of the future will
develop itself。 Christ made no attempt to reconstruct society； and
consequently the Individualism that he preached to man could be
realised only through pain or in solitude。 The ideals that we owe
to Christ are the ideals of the man who abandons society entirely；
or of the man who resists society absolutely。 But man is naturally
social。 Even the Thebaid became peopled at last。 And though the
cenobite realises his personality； it is often an impoverished
personality that he so realises。 Upon the other hand； the terrible
truth that pain is a mode through which man may realise himself
exercises a wonderful fascination over the world。 Shallow speakers
and shallow thinkers in pulpits and on platforms often talk about
the world's worship of pleasure； and whine against it。 But it is
rarely in the world's history that its ideal has been one of joy
and beauty。 The worship of pain has far more often dominated the
world。 Mediaevalism； with its saints and martyrs； its love of
self…torture； its wild passion for wounding itself； its gashing
with knives； and its whipping with rods … Mediaevalism is real
Christianity； and the mediaeval Christ is the real Christ。 When
the Renaissance dawned upon the world； and brought with it the new
ideals of the beauty of life and the joy of living； men could not
understand Christ。 Even Art shows us that。 The painters of the
Renaissance drew Christ as a little boy playing with another boy in
a palace or a garden； or lying back in his mother's arms； smiling
at her； or at a flower； or at a bright bird； or as a noble； stately
figure moving nobly through the world； or as a wonderful figure
rising in a sort of ecstasy from death to life。 Even when they
drew him crucified they drew him as a beautiful God on whom evil
men had inflicted suffering。 But he did not preoccupy them much。
What delighted them was to paint the men and women whom they
admired； and to show the loveliness of this lovely earth。 They
painted many religious pictures … in fact； they painted far too
many； and the monotony of type and motive is wearisome； and was bad
for art。 It was the result of the authority of the public in art…
matters； and is to be deplored。 But their soul was not in the
subject。 Raphael was a great artist when he painted his portrait
of the Pope。 When he painted his Madonnas and infant Christs； he
is not a great artist at all。 Christ had no message for the
Renaissance； which was wonderful because it brought an ideal at
variance with his； and to find the presentation of the real Christ
we must go to mediaeval art。 There he is one maimed and marred；
one who is not comely to look on； because Beauty is a joy； one who
is not in fair raiment； because that may be a joy also： he is a
beggar who has a marvellous soul； he is a leper whose soul is
divine； he needs neither property nor health； he is a God realising
his perfection through pain。
The evolution of man is slow。 The injustice of men is great。 It
was necessary that pain should be put forward as a mode of self…
realisation。 Even now； in some places in the world； the message of
Christ is necessary。 No one who lived in modern Russia could
possibly realise his perfection except by pain。 A few Russian
artists have realised themselves in Art； in a fiction that is
mediaeval in character； because its dominant note is the
realisation of men through suffering。 But for those who are not
artists； and to whom there is no mode of life but the actual life
of fact； pain is the only door to perfection。 A Russian who lives
hap