BOOK II PART II
Eighth Experiment. I have observed that the
transition from love or hatred to pride or hu-
mility, is more easy than from pride or humility
to love or hatred; and that the difficulty, which
the imagination finds in passing from contigu-
ous to remote, is the cause why we scarce have
any instance of the latter transition of the af-
fections. I must, however, make one exception,
viz, when the very cause of the pride and hu-
mility is placed in some other person. For in
that case the imagination is necessitated to con-
sider the person, nor can it possibly confine its
view to ourselves. Thus nothing more readily
produces kindness and affection to any person,
than his approbation of our conduct and char-
acter: As on the other hand, nothing inspires us
with a stronger hatred, than his blame or con-
tempt. Here it is evident, that the original pas-
sion is pride or humility, whose object is self;