e clearly;
and can, when advisable, modify his own point of view according to his
neighbor's. One can easily recognize the advantage it is to a doctor, a
lawyer, a minister, or a business man, to be able and willing always to
grasp the point of view of other people. A doctor makes up his mind as
to the best course to take in regard to his patient. The patient tells
him a long story describing his own state of mind, which seems to the
doctor, according to his own experience, entirely ridiculous. If he
excludes all appreciation of his patient's point of view and holds
harshly to his own ideas, he loses the most important means for
performing a perfect cure. If he listens attentively, and earnestly
tries to appreciate what may be good in his patient's ideas, so that the
patient feels his sympathy, an opportunity is thus opened to lead the
patient gradually to common sense. In so far as the physician closes
his mind to his patient's point of view, in so far he is narrow and
lacking in the true spirit of a man of the world.

A good, clear-headed lawyer should understand not only his client's
point of view, but also that of his opponent. A man can never lose his
own ground by truly "throwing himself on the side of his antagonist." An
all-round clear-headedness is a necessity to the best growth in us of
true principles. When a man's eye is single his whole body will be full
of light, and such light penetrates far and wide within and along the
whole horizon, and shows characters, affairs, and circumstances, for
what they really are. But no man's eye can be single unless he takes a
clear, unprejudiced view of his fellow men in all phases and varieties
of life. The very large number and variety of people who come steadily
for help to a physician or minister receive the greatest help when the
physician or minister understands the world entirely without prejudice.
A quiet understanding of human nature, and a brave, gentle manner of
dealing with others is one of the greatest blessings that can come to
any man.

It is absolutely impossible to rid ourselves of prejudice without at
the same time gaining freedom from self-love. If a man is favorably
prejudiced in a certain direction, it is because there is something in
the opposite direction which offends his selfishness. To gain freedom
from the prejudice he must see and acknowledge heartily the selfishness
in himself which is at its root. This is often a difficult thing to do,
for a