Suppose, in place of the human race, one single human baby.
Suppose that its mother had never seen another baby, and had no
idea of the laws governing a baby's development.
And suppose, as the helpless baby lay on its back in the cradle,
waving its arms, kicking its legs, gasping and blinking, that the
following prophecy had been made to the mother:
"Some day that baby of yours will be five feet high. Some day it
will be able to walk and run, and throw stones, and carry
weights, and fight, and do all kinds of things."
Of course, the mother, hearing this, would have been very much
rejoiced, saying to herself:
"My baby now is feeble and helpless, and I must watch it all the
time to see that it does not roll out of the cradle, or that the
cat does not bite it. When my baby gets to be five feet high and
able to fight and run and jump, of course it will be free from
danger, it will live happily, and I shall be free from anxiety."
Now, suppose that fourteen years have passed. The mother has
seen the baby grow to be five feet high and fourteen years old,
and the prophecy is fulfilled.
Is the mother happy? She is weeping bitterly. The baby has
certainly improved in its powers most wonderfully. It can run
and jump and fight. As a result of its abilities, it comes back
one day with a black eye, the next day with a broken nose, the
next day with a sore toe.
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