to have no influence. Men often act knowingly against their interest:
For which reason the view of the greatest possible good does not always
influence them. Men often counter-act a violent passion in prosecution
of their interests and designs: It is not therefore the present
uneasiness alone, which determines them. In general we may observe, that
both these principles operate on the will; and where they are contrary,
that either of them prevails, according to the general character or
present disposition of the person. What we call strength of mind,
implies the prevalence of the calm passions above the violent; though
we may easily observe, there is no man so constantly possessed of this
virtue, as never on any occasion to yield to the sollicitations of
passion and desire. From these variations of temper proceeds the great
difficulty of deciding concerning the actions and resolutions of men,
where there is any contrariety of motives and passions.

SECT. IV OF THE CAUSES OF THE VIOLENT PASSIONS

There is not-in philosophy a subject of more nice speculation than this
of the different causes and effects of the calm and violent passions.
It is evident passions influence not the will in proportion to their
violence, or the disorder they occasion in the temper; but on the
contrary, that when a passion has once become a settled principle of
action, and is the predominant inclination of the soul, it commonly
produces no longer any sensible agitation. As repeated custom and its
own force have made every thing yield to it, it directs the actions and
conduct without that opposition and emotion, which so naturally attend
every momentary gust of passion. We must, therefore, distinguish betwixt
a calm and a weak passion; betwixt a violent and a strong one. But
notwithstanding this, it is certain, that when we would govern a man,
and push him to any action, it will commonly be better policy to work
upon the violent than the calm passions, and rather take him by his
inclination, than what is vulgarly called his reason. We ought to place
the object in such particular situations as are proper to encrease the
violence of the passion. For we may observe, that all depends upon the
situation of the object, and that a variation in this particular will be
able to change the calm and the violent passions into each other. Both
these kinds of passions pursue good, and avoid evil; and both of them
are encreased or diminished by the encre