Nothing in Life Is Boring

Art is a great thing. But it is not the greatest. The most important of all perceptions is the continual perception of cause and effect—in other words, the perception of the continuous development of the universe—in still other words, the perception of the course of evolution. When one has thoroughly got imbued into one's head the leading truth that nothing happens without a cause, one grows not only large-minded, but large-hearted.

Art is a great thing. But it is not the greatest. The most important thing to understand is the constant relationship between cause and effect. In other words, it is the universe’s continuous development, or the course of evolution. Once you fully grasp the fundamental truth that nothing happens without a cause, you become not only more open-minded but also more compassionate.

It is hard to have one's watch stolen, but one reflects that the thief of the watch became a thief from causes of heredity and environment which are as interesting as they are scientifically comprehensible; and one buys another watch, if not with joy, at any rate with a philosophy that makes bitterness impossible. One loses, in the study of cause and effect, that absurd air which so many people have of being always shocked and pained by the curiousness of life. Such people live amid human nature as if human nature were a foreign country full of awful foreign customs. But, having reached maturity, one ought surely to be ashamed of being a stranger in a strange land!

It is hard to have your watch stolen. But you reflect that heredity and environment made the thief a thief. These causes are as interesting as they are scientifically understandable. And you buy another watch, if not happily, then at least with a philosophy that makes bitterness impossible. By studying cause and effect, you lose that absurd air so many people have. They always seem shocked and pained by the strange ways of life. They live among human beings as if human nature were a foreign country full of terrible foreign customs. But surely, once you have reached adulthood, you should be ashamed to be a stranger in a strange land!

The study of cause and effect, while it lessens the painfulness of life, adds to life's picturesqueness. The man to whom evolution is but a name looks at the sea as a grandiose, monotonous spectacle, which he can witness in August for three shillings third-class return. The man who is imbued with the idea of development, of continuous cause and effect, perceives in the sea an element which in the day-before-yesterday of geology was vapour, which yesterday was boiling, and which to-morrow will inevitably be ice.

Studying cause and effect makes life less painful and more vivid. A man who knows evolution only as a name sees the sea as a grand but monotonous spectacle. He can go and see it in August for three shillings, the price of a third-class return ticket. But a man who understands development, the continuous chain of cause and effect, sees the sea differently. In geological time, the sea was vapor the day before yesterday. Yesterday it was boiling, and tomorrow it will inevitably be ice.

He perceives that a liquid is merely something on its way to be solid, and he is penetrated by a sense of the tremendous, changeful picturesqueness of life. Nothing will afford a more durable satisfaction than the constantly cultivated appreciation of this. It is the end of all science.

He sees that a liquid is simply something on its way to becoming solid. He is filled with a sense of the vast, ever-changing beauty of life. Nothing gives more lasting satisfaction than continually developing an appreciation of this beauty. That is the goal of all science.

Cause and effect are to be found everywhere. Rents went up in Shepherd's Bush. It was painful and shocking that rents should go up in Shepherd's Bush. But to a certain point we are all scientific students of cause and effect, and there was not a clerk lunching at a Lyons Restaurant who did not scientifically put two and two together and see in the (once) Two-penny Tube the cause of an excessive demand for wigwams in Shepherd's Bush, and in the excessive demand for wigwams the cause of the increase in the price of wigwams.

Cause and effect are everywhere. Rents went up in Shepherd's Bush. It was painful and shocking that rents should rise there. But we are all students of cause and effect, up to a point. Every clerk lunching at a Lyons Restaurant could put two and two together scientifically. The (once) Two-penny Tube had caused an excessive demand for wigwams in Shepherd's Bush. And that excessive demand had driven up the price of wigwams.

"Simple!" you say, disdainfully. Everything—the whole complex movement of the universe—is as simple as that—when you can sufficiently put two and two together. And, my dear sir, perhaps you happen to be an estate agent's clerk, and you hate the arts, and you want to foster your immortal soul, and you can't be interested in your business because it's so humdrum.

"Simple!" you say scornfully. Everything, the whole complex workings of the universe, is that simple when you can put two and two together well enough. And, my dear sir, perhaps you work as a clerk for a real estate agent. You hate the arts and want to nurture your immortal soul. And you can't take an interest in your work because it's so dull.

Nothing is humdrum.

Nothing is boring.

The tremendous, changeful picturesqueness of life is marvellously shown in an estate agent's office. What! There was a block of traffic in Oxford Street; to avoid the block people actually began to travel under the cellars and drains, and the result was a rise of rents in Shepherd's Bush! And you say that isn't picturesque! Suppose you were to study, in this spirit, the property question in London for an hour and a half every other evening. Would it not give zest to your business, and transform your whole life?

An estate agent’s office shows just how vivid and ever-changing life can be. Imagine! Traffic was blocked in Oxford Street. To get around the blockage, people actually began traveling under cellars and drains. As a result, rents rose in Shepherd’s Bush! And you say that isn’t vivid! Suppose you studied the London property market in this spirit for an hour and a half every other evening. Wouldn’t it bring excitement to your business and transform your whole life?

You would arrive at more difficult problems. And you would be able to tell us why, as the natural result of cause and effect, the longest straight street in London is about a yard and a half in length, while the longest absolutely straight street in Paris extends for miles. I think you will admit that in an estate agent's clerk I have not chosen an example that specially favours my theories.

You would come to more difficult problems. And you would be able to explain why the longest straight street in London is only about a yard and a half long. You could also explain why the longest absolutely straight street in Paris stretches for miles. Both are natural results of cause and effect. I think you will admit that an estate agent's clerk is not an example especially chosen to support my theories.

You are a bank clerk, and you have not read that breathless romance (disguised as a scientific study), Walter Bagehot's "Lombard Street"? Ah, my dear sir, if you had begun with that, and followed it up for ninety minutes every other evening, how enthralling your business would be to you, and how much more clearly you would understand human nature.

You are a bank clerk, and you haven't read Walter Bagehot's "Lombard Street"? It's a thrilling romance disguised as a scientific study. Ah, my dear sir, if you had started with that book and read it for ninety minutes every other evening, how fascinating your work would be to you! And how much more clearly you would understand human nature.

You are "penned in town," but you love excursions to the country and the observation of wild life—certainly a heart-enlarging diversion. Why don't you walk out of your house door, in your slippers, to the nearest gas lamp of a night with a butterfly net, and observe the wild life of common and rare moths that is beating about it, and co-ordinate the knowledge thus obtained and build a superstructure on it, and at last get to know something about something?

You are "stuck in town," but you love trips to the country and watching wildlife. That is certainly a heartwarming pastime. Why not step out one night in your slippers, carrying a butterfly net, and walk to the nearest gas lamp? Watch the common and rare moths fluttering around it. Why not organize what you learn, build on it, and finally get to know something about something?

You need not be devoted to the arts, not to literature, in order to live fully.

You don't need to be devoted to the arts or literature to live fully.

The whole field of daily habit and scene is waiting to satisfy that curiosity which means life, and the satisfaction of which means an understanding heart.

All the habits and sights of daily life are waiting to satisfy your curiosity. Curiosity means life, and satisfying it gives you an understanding heart.

I promised to deal with your case, O man who hates art and literature, and I have dealt with it. I now come to the case of the person, happily very common, who does "like reading."

I promised to address your case, you who hate art and literature, and I have done so. Now I turn to the person who does "like reading." Happily, there are many such people.