Popular song... This panel showing the Pied Piper of Hamelin is one of sixteen folktale tableaux fixed to the Johann-Mithlinger-Siedlung, a housing development in Vienna. The building is named after Nazi-era resistance fighter Johann Mithlinger, who was executed at gun point in 1944 for standing up to the popularity-courting statesmen of the day.
Introduction
Samuel Smiles was uncharacteristically severe on those statesmen who court popularity by deceitful talk or by whipping up hatreds. By implication, however, he was equally severe on those who allow such rogues to do so simply because they will not, or dare not, think for themselves.
POPULARITY, as won in these days, is by no means a presumption in a man’s favour, but is quite as often a presumption against him. Where popularity is won by fawning upon the people, by withholding the truth from them, by writing and speaking down to the lowest tastes, and still worse by appeals to class-hatred, such a popularity must be simply contemptible in the sight of all honest men. Men of sterling character have the courage to speak the truth, even when it is unpopular.
Intellectual intrepidity is one of the vital conditions of independence and self-reliance of character. A man must have the courage to be himself, and not the shadow or the echo of another. He must exercise his own powers, think his own thoughts, and speak his own sentiments. He must elaborate his own opinions, and form his own convictions. It has been said that he who dare not form an opinion, must be a coward; he who will not, must be an idler; he who cannot, must be a fool.
From Character by Samuel Smiles (1812-1904).
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Précis
Samuel Smiles warned against assuming that popularity is any indication of good character. When popularity is won through playing on people’s weaknesses or prejudices it should provoke only contempt. The courage to think for oneself, regardless of what others may say or do, is a far more reliable indicator of a man’s qualities. (53 / 60 words)
Samuel Smiles warned against assuming that popularity is any indication of good character. When popularity is won through playing on people’s weaknesses or prejudices it should provoke only contempt. The courage to think for oneself, regardless of what others may say or do, is a far more reliable indicator of a man’s qualities.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, if, just, not, since, unless, whereas.
Archive
Word Games
1Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
2Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
3Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Favor. Mean. Withhold.
2 All. Sight. Thought.
3 Down. Form. Think.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
4Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
mr (7+1)
emir. mar. mare. mere. mire. moor. more.
amour.
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