{"id":1360,"date":"2004-07-24T12:37:20","date_gmt":"2004-07-24T16:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=1360"},"modified":"2015-05-14T10:46:00","modified_gmt":"2015-05-14T14:46:00","slug":"john-to-abigail-i-doubt-whether-i-understand-human-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=1360","title":{"rendered":"John to Abigail: “I doubt whether I understand human Nature”"},"content":{"rendered":"

John to Abigail Thursday 5 Oclock 12 April 1764 (still quarantined – He proposes that he will begin a journal – and yet it will be addressed to her. So that he can speak to her as though he is speaking to himself.)<\/i><\/p>\n

Heaven forgive me for suffering my Imagination to straggle into a Region of Ideas so nauseous And abominable: and suffer me to return to my Project of writing you a Journal. You would have a great Variety of characters — Lawyers, Physicians (no Divines I believe), a Number of Tradesmen, Country Colonells, Ladies, Girls, Nurses, Watchers, Children, Barbers &c. &c. &c. But among all These, there is but one whose Character I would give much to know better than I do at present. In a Word I am an old Fellow, and have seen so many Characters in my Day, that I am almost weary of Observing them. — Yet I doubt whether I understand human Nature or the World very well or not?<\/p>\n

There is not much Satisfaction in the study of Mankind to a benevolent Mind. It is a new Moon, Nineteen Twentyeths of it opaque and unenlightened.<\/p>\n

Intimacy with the most of People, will bring you acquainted with Vices and Follies enough to make you despize them. Nay Intimacy with the most celebrated will very much diminish our Revernce and Admiration.<\/p>\n

What say you now my dear shall I go on with my Design of Writing Characters? — Answer as you please, there is one Character, that whether I draw it on Paper or not, I cannot avoid thinking on every Hour, and considering sometimes together and sometimes asunder, the Excellencies and Defects in it. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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