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In the last resort man has no other guide than his reason. It is his own reason that convinces him of the limitations of his reason. But those limitations are not to be overpassed by a visionary self-introspection, unless this, too, is subjected to rational criticism. Mysticism does its true part when it applies this criticism also to the current forms, conventions, and institutions.
In his Sermon on Confession and the Sacrament of 1524, he discourages habits of morbid self-introspection, and exposes the perplexities produced by the extractions of the confessional in constantly sinking the probe deeper and deeper into the heart of the already crushed and quivering penitent.
Unable to define Force as a unity, man symbolized it and pursued it, both in himself, and in the infinite, as philosophy and theology; the mind is itself the subtlest of all known forces, and its self-introspection necessarily created a science which had the singular value of lifting his education, at the start, to the finest, subtlest, and broadest training both in analysis and synthesis, so that, if language is a test, he must have reached his highest powers early in his history; while the mere motive remained as simple an appetite for power as the tribal greed which led him to trap an elephant.
But the very struggle and self-introspection that these dramas betray were to give a depth and grandeur to Shakspere's work such as it had never known before. The age was one in which man's temper and powers took a new range and energy.
But sorrow often does much to develop the musician's character, to make him look into himself and discover his more serious purposes. This might also be accomplished by some such means of self-introspection as "Christian Science." Although I am not a "Christian Scientist," I am a great believer in its wonderful principles.
When one compares a healthy Pagan ritual say of Apollo or Dionysus including its rude and crude sacrifices if you like, but also including its whole-hearted spontaneity and dedication to the common life and welfare with the morbid self-introspection of the Christian and the eternally recurring question "What shall I do to be saved?" the comparison is not favorable to the latter.
Blessed Francis was not at all fond of too much self-introspection, or of the habit of turning an unimportant matter over and over a hundred times in the mind. He called this pernicious hair-splitting; or, with the Psalmist: "Spinning spiders' webs." People given to it he used to say are like the silkworm, which imprisons and entangles itself in its own cocoon.
The acquaintance ripened as the summer came on, and before the autumn the young fellow was ready to fetch and carry for his idol, and had surrendered his soul to her with tragic completeness. There is something a little gross in this descent into slavery, but poor Desborough did not see it, for he was not given to self-introspection. He only knew that he was happy.
Embarkation of the regiment at Portsmouth Lawrence's feelings at the time beginning to be rather mixed Heartrending partings witnessed and somewhat moralized upon by him A few more words of advice, this time intended for apprentices Ample opportunity for self-introspection afforded during the first week of the voyage Incidents while becalmed Arrival at Rio, and entertainment of the troops by the Queen of Portugal Monte Video Disembarkation and first brushes with the enemy Barbarity of the Spaniards Lawrence's feelings at last definitely uncomfortable Sir Samuel Auchmuty's dislike to finery in soldiers The town invested and subsequently stormed Lawrence in the forlorn hope Surrender of the Citadel.
A constant, aimless, inevitable habit of self-introspection was killing his mental life, before the end came physically. Another philosophical victim to the same habit was John Stuart Mill, at one time of his life. His father analysed almost everything, except himself, and John Stuart Mill had grown up in this logical atmosphere of analysis, and to much profit as his works show.
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