It is well that the bulk of mankind should listen to the instinct that prompts them to sacrifice self on the altar of duty, and that without too close self-questioning; for long must the questioning be ere consciousness will give forth the same answer as instinct.  And those who do thus close their eyes, and in all meekness follow their instinct, are in truth following the light that is borne at their head, though they know it not, see it not, by the best of their ancestors.  But still this is not the ideal; and he who gives up the least thing of all for the sake of his brother, well knowing what it is he gives up and wherefore he does it, stands higher by far in the scale of morality than the other, who flings away life without throwing one glance behind.

64.  In this world there are thousands of weak, noble creatures who fancy that sacrifice always must be the last word of duty; thousands of beautiful souls that know not what should be done, and seek only to yield up their life, holding that to be virtue supreme.  They are wrong; supreme virtue consists in the knowledge of what should be done, in the power to decide for ourselves whereto we should offer our life.  The duty each holds to be his is by no means his permanent duty.  The paramount duty of all is to throw our conception of duty into clearest possible light.  The word duty itself will often contain far more error and moral indifference than virtue.  Clytemnestra devoted her life to revenge—­she murdered her husband for that he had slain Iphigenia; Orestes sacrificed his life in avenging Agamemnon’s death on Clytemnestra.  And yet it has only needed a sage to pass by, saying, “pardon your enemies,” for all duties of vengeance to be banished for ever from the conscience of man.  And so may it one day suffice that another sage shall pass by for many a duty of sacrifice too to be exiled.  But in the meanwhile there are certain ideas that prevail on renouncement, resignation, and sacrifice, that are far more destructive to the most beautiful moral forces of man than great vices, or even than crimes.

65.  There are some occasions in life, inevitable and of general bearing, that demand resignation, which is necessary then, and good; but there are many occasions when we still are able to fight; and at such times resignation is no more than veiled helplessness, idleness, ignorance.  So is it with sacrifice too, which indeed is most often the withered arm resignation still shakes in the void.  There is beauty in simple self-sacrifice when its hour has come unsought, when its motive is happiness of others; but it cannot be wise, or of use to mankind, to make sacrifice the aim of one’s life, or to regard its achievement as the magnificent triumph of the spirit over the body. (And here let us add that infinitely too great importance is generally ascribed to the triumph of spirit over body, these pretended triumphs being most often the total defeat of life.) Sacrifice may be