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TIONS OF RANK in the world, even among things—and
not only among men.
- Now that the praise of the ‘disinterested person’ is so
popular one must—probably not without some danger—get
an idea of WHAT people actually take an interest in, and
what are the things generally which fundamentally and
profoundly concern ordinary men—including the cultured,
even the learned, and perhaps philosophers also, if appear-
ances do not deceive. The fact thereby becomes obvious that
the greater part of what interests and charms higher natures,
and more refined and fastidious tastes, seems absolutely
‘uninteresting’ to the average man—if, notwithstanding, he
perceive devotion to these interests, he calls it desinteresse,
and wonders how it is possible to act ‘disinterestedly.’ There
have been philosophers who could give this popular aston-
ishment a seductive and mystical, other-worldly expression
(perhaps because they did not know the higher nature by
experience?), instead of stating the naked and candidly rea-
sonable truth that ‘disinterested’ action is very interesting
and ‘interested’ action, provided that... ‘And love?’—What!
Even an action for love’s sake shall be ‘unegoistic’? But you
fools—! ‘And the praise of the self- sacrificer?’—But who-
ever has really offered sacrifice knows that he wanted and
obtained something for it—perhaps something from him-
self for something from himself; that he relinquished here
in order to have more there, perhaps in general to be more,
or even feel himself ‘more.’ But this is a realm of questions
and answers in which a more fastidious spirit does not like
