Life, 1915-04-01 · page 16 of 72
Life — April 1, 1915 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page distinguishes between two character types through satirical prose and illustration. The top cartoon shows "The Wrong Man in the Right Place"—a figure at a podium addressing a crowd, presumably illustrating someone unfit for authority. The main article defines **Egotism** versus Conceit. An egotist believes himself self-made and superior, taking credit for all success while denying responsibility for others' misfortunes. A conceited person simply accepts his own perfection without protest. The text uses **Solomon** as a historical example—a man who built temples through vanity, then abandoned it. The lower cartoon titled "Wall Street" shows a woman with lions, captioned: "Well, here I am. I suppose you will divide the prophet." This likely references **Daniel in the lions' den** (biblical reference), darkly joking that Wall Street—personified as a woman—will "devour the prophet" (perhaps a financial forecaster or critic). The satire targets Wall Street's predatory nature toward outsiders.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WROD Egotism also known ames of and — Concei another st about Mle to other peo- and a i name as ise ple source of unalloyed happiness to one’s self. Solomon, who, after living with seven hundred more or less total strangers women who were to him, who took his money freely and never even offered to sew a button on Nared Al not quarreling with his pajamas, de vanity. We are the result of $ whieh he were a New York society man, but we are bound to say that we think he Vanity. He felt toward Vanity a good deal as Thomas Lawson said he felt toward Wall Street when all that Wall Street had done for him for many years was to keep the wolf from the door. If it hadn't heen for Vanity Solomon would not be known to-d: ity prompted him to build a temple and acquire a reputation for settling family disputes. Tt made him what he was, and when his name had hecome a household word he went back on the best friend he had ever had, showing. as usual, that he was every ineh a king. He hounded Vanity so that she has never been the same since that fatal day, although for years both Egotism and Conceit have heen trying their best to put her on her feet. was slomon’s experienc was almost as extensive as if was too hard on Now, the difference hetween conceit and egotism has never been explained, MAN IN THE RIGHT PLACE the unbiased, unprejudiced, pristine satisfaction with which templates himself. The! personal about conceit criticak A man co} is nothing Neither is it conceited man regards himself as a finished product of nature, something which the Deity, by a lucky accident, happened to get just right— something that couldn't be helped The conceited man rarely makes any protest against his own perfection. He accepts it. The results happen to he satisfactory to himself. not havin so beaut everybody, including The misfortune of others in been manuiactured so good. ul so fine as himself, he takes no responsibilit is a periect thing, an He nobody ought to jy is not respe the Deity, he himself is entitled some of glory. true, furnished tl himseli The Deity raw material, but he has improved upon it. Other men like the unwise steward. « failed in their trust, but not he. While fe Deity | been outside neglect ed in other trivial mat- he himself ie offi has ren he it Bal and the res tention Egotist deserves Victoria Cress Tron Cross nd what other crosses the there may be with which to reward genuine merit. All criticism and ad- vice he puts down. The serenity with which he ignores his own mistakes is equalled hy no philosopher. He actu- ally makes a lot of other people believe in and swear by him, simply by his himself. He Toil with him is sue own sincere opinion of needs no merit perfluous, He lives by faith alone faith in the one person in whom he has the utmost contidence—himsel/ WALL STREET Danicl: WELL, HERE : AM I SUPPOSE YOU WILL DIVIDE THE PROPHET comichooks.