Good and evil

Good and evil in certain qualities, do not lie very far apart.

For example, it is quite easy for devotion to principle — to shade off into obstinacy.

It is easy for self-respect, consciousness of ability — to pass over into miserable self-conceit.

It is easy for a man to make himself believe that he is cherishing justifiable anger — when in truth he is only giving way to very bad temper.

It is easy to let gentleness — become weakness; and tolerance toward sinners — to grow into tolerance toward sin.

It is easy for us to become very selfish in many phases of our conduct — while in general we are really quite unselfish.