THE GOOD LIFE: A FLOWING ACTION

The truest view of life has always seemed to me to be that which shows that we are here not to enjoy, but to learn.

—F. W. ROBERTSON

As I see it, the truest view of life is that we are here to learn and to enjoy. While learning, if it be truly such, is enjoyable in all walks of life, my reference in what follows will be to learning about freedom—the good life.

THE WONDER OF WONDERS

The world will never starve for the want of wonders, but only for want of wonder.

—G. K. CHESTERTON

What did this brilliant Englishman mean by “starve?” The answer, I believe, is to be found in the words of an earlier countryman of his, Robert Browning:

Which lacks food the more,

Body or soul in me?

I starve in soul.

THE AUTHENTIC HERO

The hero’s will is not that of his ancestors nor of his society, but his own. This will to be oneself is heroism.

—ORTEGA

History presents us with countless warrior heroes: Alexander the Great, the several Caesars, Charlemagne, Napoleon, Hitler, Mussolini, on and on to the present day. Such “heroism” is rooted in brute force. And there are even more “heroes” by reason of fame, fortune, notoriety.

HUMILITY: THE RIGHT ESTIMATE OF SELF

Whoever humbles himself like this child, is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

—MATTHEW XVIII:4

The largest of all quotation books has nearly 3,000 headings, ranging all the way from Ability to Zeal. Among the topics is Humility—dozens of entries—by this philosopher and that. Other virtues merit numerous entries but Integrity does not appear as a heading! This, to me, is an astonishing omission.

LET’S COUNT OUR BLESSINGS

My God! how little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy.

—THOMAS JEFFERSON

Our habits, good and bad, often have strange origins. Rarely can one explain the forces that set up a behavior pattern, nor can I do more than trace the history of a good habit of mine—born in 1964.

Prepared by Vernelia A. Crawford

The letter “n” following a number indicates a footnote.

A

Abundance, 15

Adversity, 41-3

Agar, Herbert, 93

Americanism, 19, 105

Amiel, Henri-Frederic, 55, 135

Antagonist, 36

Aristotle, 125

Augustine (Saint), vii, 11, 23

Authoritarianism, 17-20; see also Government

Azzai, Simon Ben, 110

B

Basler, Roy P., 122n

Bastiat, Frederic, 84, 91

Beecher, Henry Ward, 119, 135

Romance of Reality (o.p.)

Pattern for Revolt

Instead of Violence

Outlook for Freedom (o.p.)

Government: An Ideal Concept

Governo Um Concito Ideal

Why Not Try Freedom?

¿Por Que No Ensayar la Libertad?

Elements of Libertarian Leadership

Anything That’s Peaceful

Todo Por la Paz

The Free Market and Its Enemy

El Enemigo del Mercado Libre

Deeper Than You Think

The Foundation for Economic Education is a non-political, nonprofit, educational institution. Its senior staff and numerous writers are students as well as teachers of the free market, private ownership, limited government rationale. Sample copies of the Foundation’s monthly study journal, The Freeman, are available on request.

The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc.(www.fee.org)

Irvington-on-Hudson, New York 10533

1974

Published March 1974

(paper) ISBN-0-910614-50-4